3 Easy Ways to Improve Your Oral Health

You may not realize it, but oral health is a significant indicator of overall well-being. The Mayo Clinic reports that conditions like heart disease, premature birth, diabetes, osteoporosis, and more may be linked to or caused by poor oral hygiene. Ultimately, investing in dental services and oral health is an excellent way to safeguard your quality of life and keeps healthcare costs down in the future. And since the World Health Organization estimates that dental treatments alone represent 5 percent of total health expenditures and 20 percent of out-of-pocket healthcare spending in most high-income countries, taking preventative action early on is a must.

It’s within everyone’s best interest to prioritize these healthy oral habits. But where should you start? It might not be as difficult as you might think. If you're looking for ways to improve the look of your pearly whites and preserve your oral health for years to come, you might want to consider these tips.

Adopt healthy dental habits.

Roughly 20 percent of survey respondents said they suffer anxiety due to the condition of their mouth and teeth. If you’ve been neglecting proper dental care at home, you’re really doing yourself a disservice. One of the best ways to improve your oral health over time is to embrace the right care techniques.

If you want to really improve your habits at home, you need to invest in a high-quality toothbrush. That often means switching from a regular toothbrush to an electric version, as the latter will remove plaque more effectively. You should brush twice per day and floss at least once a day, taking care to use a fluoride toothpaste and an antibacterial mouthwash recommended by your dentist. Be sure to brush your tongue as well, as plaque and bacteria can often hang out here and cause problems down the line.

Your morning and bedtime routines may take slightly longer to complete, but the payoff will be well worth it. Not only will you be less likely to deal with cavities, gum disease, and other oral ailments, but you’ll probably feel a lot more confident in professional and social situations too.

Make some dietary changes.

You don’t have to completely give up the foods and drinks you love for the sake of your oral health—but you may want to learn a bit more about how what you consume might be impacting your teeth and gums. Foods and drinks that are highly acidic or full of sugar can wreak havoc on your teeth, particularly if you fail to properly care for them after your meals. Since these ingredients can damage your tooth enamel, you may do well to cut down on them as much as possible. If you can replace a can of soda with a glass of water each day, you’ll be well on your way to improving your oral health.

On a positive note, you may now have an even better excuse to eat cheese and other dairy products. Since these foods are rich in calcium, yogurt and milk can help with bone strength (and therefore, oral health). In general, a balanced diet is the best thing for your oral health. If you feel your diet is too dependent on sugar or other foods, you may want to talk to your dentist about whether you should cut back.

Schedule dentist appointments.

And speaking of your dentist… one of the best ways to prioritize better oral health is to schedule appointments with your dental care provider every six months. Just like primary care physicians perform annual assessments and make recommendations to improve patients’ health, general dentists do the same thing for the state of the teeth, gums, and mouth.

Even if you feel your teeth look fine and you haven’t experienced any pain, discomfort, or other issues, you should keep these appointments. If you see your dentist only when something goes wrong, you’ll likely end up paying a lot more and feeling substantially more anxiety about dental treatments. Prevention is truly the most effective course of action here. If you prioritize your oral health from an early age, you likely won’t need to face the most serious dental issues later on in life.

Making sweeping changes to your dental care routine might sound like a real inconvenience. But consider the fact that embracing these techniques now will allow you to avoid a lot of pain and financial costs in the future. And in the end, using an electric toothbrush or cutting down on sugar consumption won’t represent a huge sacrifice. But if you avoid taking care of your teeth, you might face a compromised reality down the line.