Written by: Ekta Khatri, Co-founder – The Func Dent, The Functional Dentistry Center

The oral cavity is one of the most important parts of the body, as it is the only healthy gateway into your body. Yet oral care seems to be one of most neglected aspect of self-care. Maintaining good oral care is crucial as it impacts the overall health. Looking after the mouth dates back to thousands of years ago, all over the world overthe ancient civilizations did maintain oral care. Use of twigs in the form of toothbrush, tooth picks, tooth powders were commonly used.

Today there are several contrivances to ease oral care maintenance. Furthermore, with technological advances, use of dental hygiene products is becoming more effortless. The most commonly used products are the toothbrush and toothpaste. While most people do brush their teeth twice a day, it is imperative to understand the technique and which toothpaste is best curated for your needs.

When it comes to choosing your toothbrush there are two types, manual and electric one. If your choice is the economical manual brush, then it’s recommended to use soft bristles and brush your teeth from the gums towards the edge of the tooth at a 45-degree angle, alternatively you can brush in gentle circular motions. Electric brush uses an oscillating feature and multiple brush heads that aids people to improve their brushing technique. My personal recommendation is using a combination of manual toothbrush in the morning and an electric one to clean out all the food and plaque that’s been accumulated through out the day, at night.

When it comes to choosing your toothpaste, currently the variety available in the market is beyond one’s imagination. Tooth paste company now cater to individual needs, for example toothpastes now address not just sensitivity, gum care or cavity prevention, they also have made formulas for patients with diabetes, smokers and whitening. When it comes to children, there are specially curated toothpastes with less fluoride, however for adults prone to more cavities it should choose fluoride-basedones. For those who prefer the more holistic way, many herbal toothpastes are also available. Always remember to take only a pea size amount of toothpaste to clean your teeth.

Even though most people resort to only the toothbrush and paste for looking after their mouth, it is advised to add some more hygiene care tools into your routine. One of the most commonly known but seldom used is dental floss. The use of the dental floss is to clean interdentally, that is between teeth. There are different types of dental flossing tools:

1. Thread Floss - usually made from nylon or Teflon, they can be waxed, unwaxed, flavored and non-flavored. Recent developments have aided companies to fabricate anti shred floss made from PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene). Personal dexterity is important to consider when using this type of floss to get all the way to the back teeth.

2. Water Flosser - also known as water pick or water jet, is a cleverly designed oral irrigator that removes plaque and food debris between the teeth and at the gum line. Even though there is a learning curve attached to using this product, it is extremely efficient primarily for patients with dental implants and braces.

3. Interdental Brush - is a small bristle heads designed to clean between teeth,while this can be considered a separate tool itself, the use of the interdental brush is same as flossing. Most commonly recommended for patients undergoing orthodontic treatment.

4. Dental Pick – a smartly devised product that has a small piece of string floss held in place by a plastic prong. On one end of a floss pick is the string and prong, and on the other side is usually a sharp point, or pick, that can be used like a toothpick. The design makes it much easier to get to the back teeth than it does with a thread floss.

Another instrument made to keep the bad breath away is the tongue scraper. The curved design helps clean the tongue of food debris off the surface. Multiple tongue cleaners mad of plastic and metal are easily accessible. Remember when cleaning the tongue avoid pressing down hard and scaping as it damages the tastes buds. Along with this use of mouthwash can help freshen the breath, but it is recommended to use it sparingly as many studies have shown it kills all the oral microbes even the good ones. Moreover, for those suffering from gum diseases can use a gum stimulator , these are small rubber tipped instruments that stimulate the blood flow to the gums and remove plaque along the gum line.

Keep in mind that these tools only aid in maintaining oral care but, needs to accompanied by good diet and staying hydrated. Finally, the most efficient tool to maintain oral hygiene is to visit your dentist!