How to Keep Your Teeth Healthy With Good Oral Hygiene Habits

This is a sponsored post.

Do you have good oral hygiene habits? One thing I notice a lot is that a lot of emphasis is put on perfectly straight, bright white teeth. Although a beautiful smile is a wonderful thing, in my opinion, the most important thing is a healthy smile. Many health issues can be traced back to not having good oral hygiene habits. Gum disease, a result of poor oral hygiene, has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and stroke, just to name a few. In fact, on a recent visit to the LISTERINE^® Brand Laboratory in New Jersey, I learned that America is experiencing a dental crisis.

At the lab, we learned about Listerine’s BRING OUT THE BOLD™ campaign.  They basically conducted a global study called the Study of Bold and learned that LISTERINE^® Antiseptic Mouthwash users are more adventurous than users of competing brands of mouthwash. As a Listerine user, I would have to say that I fit into the bold category as just a few weeks ago I went ziplining in Hawaii. Do you fit into the bold category as well?

During our lab visit, scientist Tara Fourre, explained that brushing alone is not effective as it misses 75% of your mouth and leaves billions of bacteria behind.  We were then given a sneak preview of what’s actually happening in our mouths.  Basically, there are millions of bacteria in our saliva.  These bacteria cluster together and stick to the inside surfaces of our mouths to form biofilm, which is that sticky stuff you feel in your mouth when you wake up.  With the help of high powered microscopes, we were able to see what this actually looked like.  It was not pleasant to look at.  If left untreated, the biofilm can lead to bad breath and can cause gum disease. Tara stated that the high powered microscopes were a tool they used to really examine the layers of biofilm to see how LISTERINE^® works to penetrate and kill bacteria.  The results showed that LISTERINE^’s® blend of four essential oils kills bacteria all the way to the bottom layer more effectively than competing mouthwash brands. It cleans virtually 100 percent of the mouth.

We also got to step in the Odor Chamber.  The Odor Chamber is used to test what’s actually happening in our mouths.  The lab is kept between 91 and 98.6 degrees to closely mimic what’s happening in our mouths, and bacteria in saliva is grown in small pegs. The resulting biofilm is then bathed in LISTERINE^® twice per day over the course of a week.  The test is conducted  to understand the plaque fighting ability of Listerine. I must say that the odor chamber was extremely odoriferous. I had to run out of there because I couldn’t take the smell.

After touring the lab, we heard from dentist Dr. Lee Gause. He spoke to us about the dental crisis that is going on right now.  He stated that half of American adults suffer from gum disease and 25% of children have cavities. But all is not lost. Prevention is the key.  We can prevent gum disease and cavities by establishing good oral hygiene habits.

The good news is, developing good oral hygiene habits is as simple as 1, 2, 3!

First, brushing your teeth twice a day with a soft bristle brush can help rid your teeth of stains, plaque and tartar buildup. Brush first thing in the morning and right before bedtime at night. Also, if possible, brush after every meal. It is also important to brush your tongue, to remove any bacteria that may be hiding there.

Second, don't forget to floss between your teeth.  Food particles can become trapped between your teeth and cause bad breath or lead to cavities.  Think of floss as the toothbrush for between your teeth. Floss can reach where your toothbrush can't. Flossing ensures that no part of your tooth remains untouched, and therefore, unprotected. Floss either comes on a roll, where you pull out about 13 inches and wrap around your fingers to use, or on a floss pick. These picks hold the floss for you and can be easier to use for some people, especially children.

The third thing for good oral hygiene is using a  good antiseptic mouthwash, like LISTERINE^®, to kill any bacteria that brushing and flossing may have missed. It is the number one recommended mouthwash by dentists. LISTERINE^® Antiseptic Mouthwash has the ADA Seal of Acceptance and is an integral part of a complete oral health routine. Swishing mouthwash in your mouth for 30 seconds, twice a day, is the best defense for keeping unwanted bacteria from taking over and causing problems that can get out of hand. So, any bacteria that is hiding beneath the gum line can be reached as the mouthwash is swished over the teeth and gums.

These are the same habits that I have developed and that I am teaching Z.E.N. He does try to skip steps sometimes, but by constantly reminding him, I am hoping that he gets it and it that it just becomes a routine for him.

Good oral hygiene, when practiced daily, will lead to a beautiful smile. And, when you look in the mirror and see a healthy set of teeth and gums, you can be assured that there is nothing hiding inside that can cause problems anywhere else in your body.