It is important to care for your teeth and gums so that you can avoid dental decay or gingivitis. While you may remember to brush and floss each day, there are other ways to supplement your daily oral hygiene to have a healthier mouth. Ranging from professional dental care to prevent further damage to a simple mouth rinse, here are five ways to improve your dental health.

Use an Oral Irrigator

If you have teeth that are packed tightly together, then it is a good idea to use an oral irrigator. These devices are sold at online or nearby drugstores, and you will fill the tank with fresh water. When you pass the oral irrigator’s wand over your teeth, the highly pressurized water will blast away the food particles and bacteria so that you have fresh breath and clean teeth. With daily use, you will have teeth that are whiter and stronger. You might want to use floss along with an oral irrigator, just to catch some of the bacteria that the oral irrigator might not be able to get loose.

Taking a Calcium Dietary Supplement

When you aren’t ingesting enough calcium, it can affect your dental well-being. While dairy foods and some vegetables contain calcium, you may not eat enough of these foods to improve the strength of your dental enamel. If you are vegan, for example, it can more difficult to get the calcium you need, especially when diary consumption is taken as a given. Fortunately, there are calcium supplements that are easy for you to take each day to ensure that you are getting plenty of this nutrient. You can also get almond, soy, or rice milk with calcium fortification. Dark leafy greens, broccoli, kale, and beans can also be a great source for calcium.

Having Damaged Teeth Repaired

If you have not seen the dentist in a long time, you might need to get some extra work done. A dentist can repair badly damaged teeth with dental crowns. These restorations are customized for your teeth to fit properly. You may need a root canal first to remove the infection from the interior structures of the tooth before it is filled with a soft substance that hardens. The restoration is placed over the repaired tooth to protect its surface while you talk and chew food. Getting a crown can be an intensive process, but it can also be the thing you need to get your dental health on track. What you’ll need to do then is be more diligent.

Antiseptic Mouth Rinses

It is possible to eliminate additional bacteria in your mouth with an antiseptic mouth rinse. Some of these mouthwashes also help to whiten your teeth along with improving your breath odor. The daily use of these mouth rinses can prevent the problems that are associated with gum disease, and you may also destroy the pathogens that cause colds. Additionally, it is vital to keep your mouth hydrated to avoid additional oral health issues. Make sure to drink several glasses of plain water each day rather than only drinking soft drinks or coffee.

Scraping Your Tongue

The surface of your tongue can develop a disgusting film that contains bacteria. These bacteria can cause bad breath along with infecting your gum tissue or eroding the enamel on your teeth. There are plastic tongue scrapers available at local stores to use after you brush and floss your teeth. Brushing your tongue with your toothbrush is also a good way to prevent this buildup.
Dental health is a daily discipline. While adding more calcium rich foods to your diet or adding mouth rinses and tongue scraping to your morning and evening routines are simple enough, it is preserving and maintaining these habits that can be difficult. Set reminders in your phone. Put a sticky note on your mirror to remind you of these additions to your routine. Make a meal plan ahead to time to add these foods to your diet. Gradually, these new things to do will become easy and natural. They will become simple parts of your routine. With the magic of self-discipline and a love of your body and your health, you can and will improve your dental care.

Author's Bio: 

Lizzie Weakley is a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors and walks in the park with her husky, Snowball. You can find her and her writing on Twitter @LizzieWeakley.