Oral Health: Essential Tips for a Beautiful Smile

Of fundamental importance to maintain an optimal state of physical, psychological and social health is the correct maintenance of the health of the mouth.

The oral cavity and teething is the first stage for food to be properly ingested and digested. Thus, poor teeth, gum disease (gingivitis, periodontal disease) and oral mucosa or a poor state of functioning of the structures responsible for chewing may cause food deficits or digestive dysfunctions that can negatively affect the nutritional status of person.

In addition, and as a fundamental structure for oral communication and the first presentation of the person to the rest of society, the state of the mouth can be fundamental for the correct insertion in society; A mouth with a deficit of teeth, broken pieces or with an inadequate state of cleanliness, will give a bad impression of the person himself, and can be unpleasant for the rest of society. In addition, a precarious state of cleanliness and care of the oral cavity can easily produce a bad smell and unpleasant breath, deteriorating the social relationships of the person.

For all these reasons, the care of the oral cavity is important, not only for one's own health but also for the correct adaptation and insertion in the society in which we live.

The main recommendations for the correct care and hygiene of the oral cavity and teeth are:

• Daily brushing with fluoride-containing toothpaste, with a generally recommended regularity of twice a day, to maintain the cleanliness of the teeth and the health of the oral mucosa.
• Flossing once a day to keep the space between your teeth clean.
• Give up the smoking habit.
• Try not to eat food that can produce a bad smell or that can produce residues in the oral cavity.
• Increase the intake of foods with vegetable fibers (fruit, vegetables) that, with their chewing, produce a cleaning effect and carry away the remains of other foods.
• Control the use of drugs that can cause dry mouth, and try to reverse these undesirable effects of some drugs.
• Heal possible wounds, canker sores or lesions on the oral mucosa and on the tongue.
• Control the presence of cavities or alterations in the teeth.
• Visit the dentist at least once a year and when alterations susceptible to treatment are detected.

With these simple activities, some of them daily, it will be easier to maintain the correct state of the dentition and the oral cavity, which will have a positive impact on the health of the person, both in their physical, psychological and social aspects.