An American study confirmed that millenials are terrible at oral hygiene, with three in every 10 brushing their teeth only once a day. We spend a bomb on perfumes, clothes and shoes. Yet when it comes to paying your dentist a visit, we start penny pinching and deferring appointments. For many of us, oral hygiene starts and stops with brushing teeth once a day in the morning. But can we be that relaxed about dental health when we are blessed with just one set of permanent teeth in our lifetime? Not quite! Add to this our boozy lifestyle and our love for refined, processed food, we shouldn’t be surprised why so many of us have to undergo root canals and extractions even before we turn 30. On World Oral Health Day 2018, let’s turn a new leaf and star paying a little more attention towards our dental health.

1 Brushing twice a day, everyday

Those who think brushing once a day will be enough, here’s news for you – it’s not. Once-a-day brushing makes you more susceptible to bad breath, cavities and, worse, gum diseases that make teeth fall off. When you go to bed without brushing, all the remnants of food that stays back in your mouth starts inviting bacteria. It also gives enough time for plaque to form on your teeth.

2 Flossing

Flossing is another dental-health ritual we never consider seriously. The truth is, your toothbrush can’t target the debris that is caught between the teeth. For that, you need to floss every time you brush so that the food particles get dislodged.

3 Drinking water

It’s important to drink enough water for maintaining good oral health. Dehydration causes the mouth to go dry, giving rise to problems like bad breath, staining, brittle teeth and oral infections. Your teeth are also deprived of the trace amounts of calcium and other minerals supplied by saliva. So keep yourself hydrated and drink enough water throughout the day.

4 Eating fiber-rich diet

Modern diet is full of carb-heavy, refined and processed food, replete with harmful sugars, which can be really bad for your teeth. A nutritious fibre-rich diet acts as a natural floss, helping you clean your mouth as you eat. That’s why it’s important to punctuate your meals with fruits and vegetables, which will help dislodge debris between your teeth.

5 Cleaning the tongue

It’s important not to forget about your tongue while you focus so much attention on your teeth. Use a tongue cleaner or a tongue depressor to clean the white film that accumulates on your tongue. Germs and debris can cling on to your tongue and not just your teeth.

6 Gargling after every meal

Gargling action forces water into the crevices of your teeth, forcing food particles out, preventing staining and keeping your mouth clean. After meals, don’t just focus on washing your hands. Pay equal attention to your mouth and gargle right.

Treat your teeth right when you have them. Losing them can cause irreplaceable loss to your looks and you will have no other choice but to get expensive implants or dentures to make up for it.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 20, 2018 03:49 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).