Things You Need to Know About Oral Care from Colgate

     Hello dearies! How's your Monday? I hope every thing is fine :) Let's talk about Oral health today. I have a confession to make, I feel very bad about the color of my teeth :( I was born with yellowish teeth and it gave me low self-esteem. If you notice, I seldom post selfies and make sure that I will make a half smile. I also talk little when I'm in public or in events that's why some says I'm a snob. The truth is, I'm shy because some may not understand why I have yellowish teeth. I made a research and found out that having a yellowish teeth can be caused by genetics and other factors. Since we're going to talk about oral health today let me share with you things you need to know about oral care. Click CONTINUE READING and smile!

Things You Need to Know About Oral Care by Colgate
Pardon my awkward "pilit" smile

     Here are the important things you need to know about oral care. I can say that if you're doing everything on the list, chances are you have healthy teeth and gums and brilliant smile :)

1. The perfect angle to tilt your toothbrush is 45 degrees for that optimal reach. 

     To properly brush your teeth tilt the brush at a 45° angle against the gumline and sweep or roll the brush away from the gumline by using short strokes. Gently brush the outside, inside and chewing surface of each tooth using short back-and-forth strokes. Gently brush your tongue to remove bacteria and freshen breath. Proper brushing takes at least two minutes — that's right, 120 seconds! Most adults do not come close to brushing that long. To get a feel for the time involved, try using a stopwatch. 

Things You Need to Know About Oral Care by Colgate
Colgate 360 Interdental Toothbrush

Things You Need to Know About Oral Care by Colgate
Colgate 360 Interdental Toothbrush

2. The ideal length of floss to use is 20 inches. 

     The ideal floss is waxed. Floss removes plaque and debris that sticks in between teeth and below the gumline, polishes tooth surfaces, and controls bad breath. Waxed floss allows the floss to glide along your gums. If you're new to dental floss, you can try Colgate's Total Mint Dental Floss.

Things You Need to Know About Oral Care by Colgate
Colgate Total Mint Dental Floss

3. Three months is the ideal lifespan of a toothbrush. 

     Research shows that a new toothbrush can remove more plaque than one that's worn out, ensuring that your brush is working its hardest to help keep your teeth clean and healthy. That's because, no matter what type of toothbrush you use, its bristles can become frayed and worn and may lose their effectiveness.

Things You Need to Know About Oral Care by Colgate
Colgate Charcoal Toothbrush

Things You Need to Know About Oral Care by Colgate
Colgate Charcoal Toothbrush

4. The signs of a healthy gum is being pink in color and does not bleed when brushing or flossing.

5. There are 500-650 types of bacteria species living in the oral cavity, one of the main reasons for having bad breath. 

     Over 500 different strains of bacteria have been detected in the human mouth, though most people are only host to 34 to 72 different varieties. Most of these bacterial species appear to be harmless when it comes to our health. Other bacteria actually protect our teeth and gums. There are some bacteria, however, that we'd rather do without, since they cause tooth decay, bad breath and gum disease. So for overall oral health, here's Colgate Total Anticavity Toothpaste for a healthy mouth!

Things You Need to Know About Oral Care by Colgate
Colgate Total Anticavity Toothpaste

6. Mouthwash takes care of the spaces inside the mouth that your toothbrush cannot reach. 

     A mouthwash with fluoride will help reduce cavities and periodontal disease.

7. There are two kinds of tooth stains: intrinsic and extrinsic. 

     Extrinsic stains are those that appear on the surface of the teeth as a result of exposure to dark-colored beverages, foods and tobacco, and routine wear and tear. Superficial extrinsic stains are minor and can be removed with brushing and prophylactic dental cleaning. Stubborn extrinsic stains can be removed with more involved efforts, like teeth bleaching. Persistent extrinsic stains can penetrate into the dentin and become ingrained if they are not dealt with early. Problem about coffee, tea and tobacco stains? Why not try Colgate Optic White

Things You Need to Know About Oral Care by Colgate
Colgate Optic White

     Intrinsic stains are those that form on the interior of teeth. Intrinsic stains result from trauma, aging, exposure to minerals (like tetracycline) during tooth formation and/or excessive ingestion of fluoride

8. Why do we need to use a tongue cleaner? 

     A tongue cleaner (also called a tongue scraper or tongue brush) is an oral hygiene device designed to clean the bacterial build-up, food debris, fungi, and dead cells from the surface of the tongue.

9. Oral Health is linked to systemic health. 

     Did you know that your oral health can offer clues about your overall health — or that problems in your mouth can affect the rest of your body? Understand the intimate connection between oral health and overall health and what you can do to protect yourself. 

10.Canine teeth are the cornerstones of the mouth. 

     Known as the strongest teeth, the canine teeth are also responsible for keeping the face shape intact. Most common action of the canines is tearing of food. The canine teeth are able to withstand the tremendous lateral pressures from chewing. There is a single cusp on canines, and they resemble the grasping teeth found in carnivorous animals.

11. Tooth Sensitivity is triggered by food, drinks, air and touch. 

     This problem often happens when gums recede The gum tissue acts like a protective blanket to cover the roots of the teeth. As the gums recede the underlying tooth roots are exposed. They are not covered by hard enamel. Think of your gums and the enamel on your teeth as a down comforter covering and protecting your body from the cool winter air. Over time, the gums may recede or the enamel or dentin on your teeth may wear down, creating the condition for tooth sensitivity. Thousands of tiny dentinal tubules (channels) leading to the tooth's never center (pulp) are than exposed. These tubules allow more stimuli like heat, cold or pressure to reach the nerve in the tooth and you feel pain! 

      I suggest you to use Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief, I've tried this before and it works wonder in sealing the tubules giving relief to my teeth. It also has whitening ingredients that somehow maintained the present color of my teeth even though I drink coffee and tea twice a day.

Things You Need to Know About Oral Care by Colgate
Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief

12. Visit your dentist at least twice a year.

     You should have your teeth checked and cleaned at least twice a year, though they may recommend more frequent visits. Regular dental exams and cleaning visits are essential in preventing dental problems and maintaining the health of your teeth and gums. At these visits, your teeth are cleaned and checked for cavities. Additionally, there are many other things that are checked and monitored to help detect, prevent, and maintain your dental health like stains, crooked teeth, cause of bad breath and other mouth problems.

13. 9 out of 10 children have cavities.

     In the Philippines, 9 out of 10 grade 1 public school students have cavities. By sharing these information, we can help lessen the number of Filipino kids with cavities. Philippines is far behind other countries in the Western Pacific Region concerning oral health. The two most common oral health problems in the country are dental caries and periodontal diseases. These two dental concerns can be avoided by improving oral health conditions among pre-school children and inculcating a positive oral health behavior to children who will be entering school age.

For more information, please visit Colgate’s official website, Colgate Philippines and lifestyle website, Colgate Smiles.