Your oral health is just as important as eating healthy, exercising and drinking plenty of fluids. Maintaining good oral hygiene is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Prevention is always better than cure. Take action now and keep your oral health intact before its too late. What does good oral hygiene look like? Great oral hygiene takes a little bit of effort. Simple steps such as brushing twice a day, flossing and adding tongue cleaning into your dental care routine, can go a long way. When you practice all of these, you reduce the chances of tooth decay and other gum problems and increase the life of your teeth. Here are some of the signs of poor oral hygieneTooth decay is one of the most common dental problems. The main reason for this is bad oral hygiene. Tooth decay can be minimized to a huge extent by practicing good oral health. Bad oral hygiene can cause the growth of bacteria in your mouth, leading to various infections of the gums, teeth, and roots of the teeth. These could be avoided by maintaining good oral hygiene. In most cases, loose teeth are caused by gum diseases which are resulted by a lack of good oral hygiene. To ensure that you won’t need dentures or false teeth in the future, take care of them now. Bleeding gums is a common symptom of a gum disease known as gingivitis. Your gums might also bleed if you have a habit of brushing too hard. You can get rid of this issue, by taking proper care of your teeth. Due to insufficient and improper brushing your teeth could get discoloured or stained. Even though this isn’t a serious health concern, it looks unappealing and be a cause of low self-confidence. Good oral hygiene can reduce this problem and help you smile confidently. Importance of good oral hygiene- A well maintained oral health directly results in good overall health. - Healthy gums are the foundation of strong teeth and a product of well maintained oral hygiene. - You can keep cavities at bay, by keeping your oral hygiene intact. - Those with proper oral hygiene have a very less chance of acquiring Oral cancer. - Strong and healthy teeth and gums are one of the major results of maintaining good oral health. How to maintain your oral hygiene?- Brush the right way – Brushing twice a day doesn’t ensure that you have perfect oral health. You need to brush the right way. The outer surface, inner surface and the chewing surface of your teeth need to be brushed thoroughly to ensure complete oral care. - Floss – This is one important step that should be performed in order to keep your oral hygiene in check. Flossing helps clean the parts that your brush can’t reach. - Mouthwash – This helps ensure the freshness of your mouth. It helps keep away bacteria and odour. Mouthwash helps disinfect your mouth as a whole. Rinse your mouth for about 30 seconds, after brushing, to get the best result. - Visit the dentist at least twice a year – Even if you follow all the other steps, visiting your dentist for an overall dental checkup is a must. This habit is one of the best things you could do for your oral health.- Eat healthier – A healthy diet, is essential for your overall health. All aspects of your health could benefit from eating a healthy, balanced diet. There your teeth too can have an advantage from eating healthy.