Five daily habits dentists want you to know to protect more than just your teeth and gums

Oral health is important to your overall physical and mental health. Problems with your teeth and gums can worsen mouth issues, make you susceptible to chronic diseases and may even increase your risk of dementia.

You can improve your oral health with proper hygiene, regular dental examinations and some lifestyle changes. Here are five strategies to help keep your teeth and gums in good condition.

1. Use the right technique while brushing

Whether oscillating and rotating to sweep away debris or using sonic vibrations to get the job done, electric toothbrushes are better at removing dental plaque and reducing gingivitis than manual brushes, studies show.

But the toothbrush may not be the key.

“The most important thing is not so much the brush, but the brusher,” said Edmond Hewlett, a spokesman for the American Dental Association. “And by that, I mean that we talk to our patients about one toothbrush versus another and try to help them choose the one that they’re most likely to use, and then to use it effectively.”

With the proper approach, manual toothbrushes can be as effective, particularly for people who are more comfortable with them, said Tien Jiang, an assistant professor at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

“It all comes down to technique,” regardless of the kind of toothbrush people choose to use, Jiang said.

2. Don’t rinse your mouth after brushing

People on social media have challenged the way many people brush their teeth. Their advice: Brush your teeth with a fluoride-containing toothpaste and spit — but don’t rinse.

Dental experts agree. They recommend brushing at least twice a day with a fluoride-containing toothpaste to help prevent cavities. And they say skipping the rinse after brushing allows the fluoride to stay on the teeth, providing added protection.

Those who prefer to rinse should rinse lightly with a small amount of water such as a sip from the hand or delay the rinse by about 20 minutes, said Brittany Seymour, a spokeswoman for the American Dental Association and an associate professor at Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

3. Learn how to floss properly

Dental experts recommend flossing teeth at least once a day, ideally before bed. The goal is to remove food particles and plaque, a sticky film containing bacteria, from between teeth and under the gumline before it can wreak havoc on your teeth and gums.

While the benefits of flossing have been debated, some research shows that flossing alongside brushing may be more effective at reducing plaque and gingivitis than brushing alone. The technique, timing and frequency, however, may play a role in helping to maintain good oral health, some experts said.

“Proper flossing removes plaque to help prevent cavities, gum disease and bone loss,” said Mina Kim, a dentist in New York.

4. Don’t consume low-pH beverages too often

Beverages that have a low pH — meaning they are more acidic — have the potential to wear away tooth enamel over time, particularly when consumed often and in large quantities. Regular water has a pH of 7, which is neutral. Coffee measures about 5, lemon juice about 2 and stomach acid about 1.

For beverages we consume often, the pH level, ideally, should be above 4, which is considered a “critical threshold,” said John Ruby, adjunct professor of pediatric dentistry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Anything below a pH of 4 increases risk of dental erosion, he said.

In a 2016 study, Ruby and his colleagues tested the pH levels of nearly 400 beverages, and the findings were concerning. The study showed that most beverages tested - sports drinks, sodas, juices, fruit punches and many flavored waters - had a pH below 4. Many tested lower than 3.

Drinking a low-pH beverage every now and then is unlikely to cause a dental issue. But experts say the risk increases if you consume multiple servings of these beverages every day.

How did sparkling water hold up in the tests? Only two plain sparkling drinks were tested, and both tested higher than the threshold of 4, meaning they were not as much of an erosion risk. S. Pellegrino sparkling natural mineral water had a pH of 4.96. Perrier carbonated water tested at 5.25.

But adding flavor to water, particularly citrus flavors containing citric acid, can lower the pH. In the 2016 study, Dasani plain water had a pH level of 5.03, but Dasani Lemon water had a pH of 3.03.

5. Don’t chew ice

Chewing ice can cause cracks in the enamel, called craze lines, that can spread, eventually fracturing the tooth. It can also chip or break teeth that are particularly vulnerable, experts said.

“Even though enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, it still can get damaged by repeatedly chewing something that is hard, and ice definitely falls into that category,” said Holly Shaw, an assistant professor at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine.

Chewing ice is in a class of habits known as oral parafunctional activities, which include tooth grinding, thumb sucking, lip biting and other repetitive actions of the mouth. They are extremely common with up to 90 per cent of the population exhibiting such behaviours, often because of stress, anxiety and other emotional factors.

But they can cause permanent damage to teeth and gums, stressing the ligaments connecting the tooth to the bone around it, which can cause bleeding, recession and bone loss, said Alec Eidelman, a lecturer on oral health policy and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

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