"A clean Mouth and honest hand, will take a man through any land"- an old Proverb

When you get your picture taken, everyone says, "Say cheese! Smile!" and so you do, open your Mouth and show your Teeth. When you see the picture, you see a happy person looking back at you. The healthier those Teeth are, the happier you look. Why is that? Oral health means more than just an attractive smile. Poor oral health and untreated oral diseases and conditions can have a significant impact on the quality of life and in many cases, the condition of the Mouth mirrors the condition of the body as a whole. Recent reports indicate a relationship between periodontal (Gum) diseases and Stroke, Heart disease, and pre-term low-birth-weight babies.

The Mouth, like the rest of the outside surfaces of the body, contains a very large population of bacteria [micro-organisms], which live there all the time and which can never be completely removed. Like ants at a picnic, bacteria go crazy over the sugar on your Teeth, breaking it down into acids that eat away tooth Enamel, causing holes called cavities. So if you take care of your Teeth and gums, they'll take care of you. Strong, healthy Teeth help you chew the right foods to help you grow. They help you speak clearly and yes, they help you look your best.

Good oral hygiene is very important. Here are some tips to maintain healthy gums and Teeth:

Do's

Brushing the right way is the key to oral health. Brush daily for five minutes at least two times a day. Brush the Teeth using short, gentle strokes, paying extra attention to the gumline, hard-to-reach back Teeth and areas around fillings, crowns or other restoration. Concentrate on thoroughly cleaning each section. While brushing first clean the outer surfaces of your upper Teeth, then your lower Teeth. Then clean the inner surfaces of your upper Teeth, then your lower Teeth. Clean the chewing surfaces, inner surfaces of the cheeks, upper palate and Tongue too. Hold the toothbrush at an angle of 45- degrees to the gumline. Brush in back and forth movements.

Always use the right toothbrush for brushing. This will ensure effective brushing. The size of the brush should neither be very large nor very small for the Mouth. The brush should be have bristles that stand up straight. And one should replace toothbrush every three months.

Brushing should always be coupled with flossing and rinsing with mouthwash. A fluoride mouthwash alongside regular brushing and flossing can help prevent tooth decay and Gum disease. Proper flossing removes plaque and food particles in places where a toothbrush cannot easily reach like under the gumline and between your Teeth. Because plaque build-up can lead to tooth decay and Gum disease, daily flossing is highly recommended.

Food rich in vitamin C, flavanoids and coenzyme Q10 is recommended. They are powerful antioxidants that protect gums against Cell damage and promote healing. Vitamin C promotes healthy Capillaries, which AIDS oral tissue in staying healthy. Insufficient consumption of Vitamin C may lead to oral health problems like swollen and Bleeding Gums and loss of Teeth can result. Fruits and raw salad should be consumed, as they are natural Teeth cleansers. Because these foods require chewing, they increase the secretion of saliva, which in turn neutralizes the acid in the food, preventing tartar and tooth decay. Foods rich in calcium such as milk, buttermilk and eggs should be taken. Calcium is the building block of the Teeth.

One should visit the dentist once in every six months. Regular visits to the dentists help in early detection of the cavities and better treatment. Routine oral examinations also play an important role in detection of early cancer detection and treatment.

Don'ts

Avoid brushing too vigorously or too frequently. This leads to injury to the gumline. Avoid having breakfast cereals that are coated in sugar, honey or chocolate. Having a lot of sugary foods and sweet fizzy drinks actually speeds up the rate of dental decay. Have them straight after a meal but not in-between. Brush well after eating a sugary meal.

Avoid too acidic food, fizzy and aerated drinks. These foods contain acid that attacks the Enamel of the tooth and cause decay. Retentive sticky foods (such as raisins, caramels, toffees, slowly dissolving hard candies, etc.) that are not quickly diluted by saliva also pose a major risk in the formation of dental cavities. Even apparently harmless wafers/chips are retained on the tooth for a long period of time & eventually broken down into carbohydrates & sugars leading to decay. Mouthwashes containing chlorhexidine are used in the treatment and prevention of Gum disease but may stain Teeth and should not usually be used for more than 10 consecutive days, unless advised by your dentist. Avoid tobacco chewing and smoking, as it is the leading cause of Oral cancer.

A healthy smile is more than cosmetic. Studies show that the health of your Teeth and gums can indicate the state of your overall health. Healthy routines will keep away most of the chances for a disease. People are turning more and more towards alternative therapies because they all have a holistic approach. Herbs are being used widely for oral problems. They may be given internally as pills, syrups, and infusions, or externally as poultices, plasters, and liniments. An external application of clove oil, for instance, stops the pain of toothache, as will tincture of hops. Moist herbal wraps are especially effective for sore, tense Muscles such as those in the Neck, shoulders, back, or Jaw when temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ) is present. Also some typical herbs have been proved to be beneficial in case of gingival bleeding and Gingivitis. Some herbs are having anti-inflammatory action and can be used to soothe the gums. Chewing of some herbs will relieve you form the problem of bad breathe. Barks and leaves of some herbs act as astringent, sedative and haemostatic (acting to stop the flow of Blood). A cotton ball soaked in herbal oil and placed on a sore tooth or rubbed on inflamed gums, gives immediate temporary relief. Some herbs work amazingly in stopping bleeding after tooth extraction. Over the past decade hypnotherapy has been used in dental surgeries to assist in pain control and the alleviation of Anxiety and stress. Recent studies have demonstrated that hypnotherapy can produce relaxation and analgesic aid for the patients before undergoing dental treatments. The study indicates that hypnotherapy prior to dental surgery can significantly help patients overcome Anxiety and help them minimize the use of analgesics following the surgery. This is highly effective and cannot cause any harm or produce any side effects. The Teeth and Mouth are vulnerable to many diseases and there is a lot that can go wrong, which can cause ill health and deterioration of the Teeth. As the years go by the Teeth and gums come under attack and decay and erosion of Teeth is to some extent inevitable. But the process can largely be prevented or avoided altogether by regular attention to oral hygiene. A few minutes every day can save unpleasant, unattractive and unhealthy consequences in future years.