Wise tips to increase your dental health

There is nothing more important than health in 2021.  Or is it there is nothing more important than complying with wearing a mask.  I am not sure these days since they are not actually linked.  But we all know how to take care of our oral health.  We have mostly been told since childhood to brush twice a day, and it's backed up by the American Dental Association.  The thing is that knowing is not the actual battle.  Doing is the key to good dental health.  The basics are easy and we all want to be protected from plaque and tartar buildup, not just for looks but for the long term health issues those can lead too.  But there are some other more interested and let's face it cool ways to help take care of our health.  So I want to go over just a few extra things we can all do to keep our dental hygiene in tip-top shape. 

Being basic is good.  There is nothing wrong with doing all the basics if they are the standard for actual health.  The next time you are working on your American Dental Association twice a day brushing, maybe add some baking soda.  Yes, the stuff you have been keeping in your pantry for years and barely use.  Don't be afraid to look outside the normal areas for health either. Baking soda is actually an effective way to remove plaque without damaging your enamel.  There are studies out there that have shown that adding baking soda along with your toothpaste can help fight plaque better than just normal toothpaste.  So if you don’t want to manually add it.

Try and find a toothpaste that already incorporates it into it. To me one of the coolest parts of Baking Soda is that it helps stop the demineralizing of your teeth.  Which means that it stops your teeth from breaking down and losing enamel. This process of demineralizing occurs when the bacteria in your mouth break down the carbohydrates in your food.  That breaking down of the carbohydrates actually causes the food to become more acidic which can cause the eroding of the enamel in your mouth.  So using baking soda to minimize that effect can keep your teeth healthy for a longer time.  Now some of the bacteria in your mouth are very good and you don’t want to eliminate all of those.  So baking soda has been shown to mostly attack only the bad bacteria which is hurting your teeth. 

There are always extremes and in some ways, the extreme is actually the cheap and easy way.  Another really cool thing that can help your dental hygiene is using oil in the best of ways.  This is a new concept to me, but it is the process of basic mouth washing with coconut oil.  You can take a tablespoon of coconut oil which warms and liquefies very quickly and then swish it around in your mouth like a normal mouthwash.  I cook with it all the time and it is a pretty awesome substance.  This has been shown to decrease plaque by up to 50%.  That is an incredible number and can really help your health.  A quick tip, since it is the oil you want to spit it out in the trash or a paper towel. So take that with a grain of salt and enjoy the cost savings. 

Using a Finger to Brush Your Teeth?

This has been something that has bothered me for a long time.  I really have alwas wondered if it was better to brush with your finger or simply not to brush at all.  We have all grown up with stories from our families about different sides to the situation.  I know mine always said that your finger was worse than all the bad stuff in your mouth.  But is this true?  I am sure it really isnt.  So I got a real-life chance to figure it out because last weekend my wife and I went on a quick outing to visit my in-laws.  It is always fun to go and visit them. cIt was a great trip if I must say so myself.  We packed up all the things we needed and made sure we had the correct toiletries as well.  One of the more important things that I am sure to bring is my toothbrush.  Honestly, I usually pick up a travel toothbrush that has suction cups on the bottom.  It sure makes pulling it out and being able to put it down on a stranger's sink much more comfortable.  The convenience of simply smacking it down and having the bristles not touch the sink is a great relief.  I am sure we have all experienced the hotel toothbrush blunder and never trusted if that toothbrush was safe again.  That is literally my worst nightmare is brushing with a nasty brush. 

Generally, I am a fast packer and so is my wife.  We simply know that we can survive with a small amount so we pack quickly.  This time arrived at our in-laws with all the necessary things we needed and began to have a great weekend.  First, we simply said our hellos and then went right to unpacking.  We got our toiletries set up and clothes put away.  Then it was off to have some fun.  Basketball was on the list since it was finally warm enough to enjoy the outdoors.  It was possibly not the best idea since I got a bit sweaty and we still had other plans for the afternoon.  I didn’t have time to get a shower so I went off to a day hike a little bit sweaty.

We found a new park to visit which was completely surprising that no one had been to it yet.  It was located about ten minutes from their home and was a new experience.  The trail we went on led down a ravine to a nice river.  It was a great hike even though I somehow got a staple implanted in my shoe.  I noticed the pain and was able to pry it out with my pocket knife.  Sure it's nice to have one of those. The hike was great and the weekend lovely, but we made a big mistake on the way home. 

This was a sad time because we left our toiletries at our in-law's house.  So when we got home that night we had no toothbrush. It really is a bad feeling to have bad breath and my wife and I had the conversation about brushing with toothpaste and no brush.  I had remembered it was bad to do so aka brush with your finger.  After looking it up, and much to my dismay I was wrong.  Just know that your mouth needs protection and the stuff on your finger after washing is not nearly as bad as doing nothing.