Good dental hygiene is imperative to good health. Though I hope you are already doing it, here is one small thing you can do to reap huge health benefits:
Brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss at least once a day
Many people associate good dental hygiene with a bright, white, beautiful smile. While cosmetic reasons can be a great motivator to promote brushing and flossing, health can be an even bigger reason to keep your pearly whites clean.
Periodontal Disease (inflammation/infection in the tissue around your teeth) has been associated with an increased risk of the following health concerns:
- Premature birth in pregnant women
- Dementia
- Heart disease
- Pulmonary disease
- Progression from pre-diabetes to diabetes
Here are some tips to help keep your mouth happy:
- Brush your teeth at least twice a day: see these tips
- Floss your teeth at least once a day
- Minimize between meal snacking on sugary or starchy foods
- Minimize sugary drinks
- Use an antiseptic mouthwash at least once a day
For people that are trying to lose weight and are struggling with mindless eating/snacking, I usually recommend that they brush their teeth after every time they eat. Often times, having a clean mouth will help them to resist to urge to graze (on often unhealthy foods) throughout the day.
*Image Courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net/ by: DigitalArt
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