Our teeth reflect the overall health of a person, and hence we must maintain them for life. When we properly chew food, our body absorbs the nutrients more efficiently. Also, the combination of a healthy tooth and gums give a great smile. However, many people are not aware that oral examinations within six months are crucial for maintaining oral hygiene. Because early detection of oral problems avoids chronic gum diseases hence, it is a part of preventive healthcare.
Importance of Regular Checkups
Early assessment of your oral problems will keep your mouth healthy.
You might not require invasive treatments later on.
Signs of decay get noticed at an early age. Hence, they are quicker and easier to treat.
Your dentist will recommend a proper oral health regime to avoid any significant problems.
The dentist will also take care of your fillings and crowns at the time.
The Tooth Anatomy-
Adults have permanent dentition consisting of 32 teeth on it.
Dentition refers to the arrangement and development of teeth in our mouth. Dentition is a custom arrangement of teeth in a particular species at a specific age.
The permanent dentition has different types of teeth based on their size and roles in each jaw.
Four incisors- They are the four middlemost teeth present on both jaws. They do all the cutting, holding, and chewing of the food. They have thin and wide cutting sections, and therefore, they provide carved-shaped edges.
Two canines- They are present on either side of the incisors. Their work is similar to incisors, i.e., holding and tearing of food.
Four premolars- They have two cusps and are thus called bicuspids. Also, they have a couple of elevations that help in crushing food.
Four molars- They are present at the rear side of the mouth. Molars have more than two cusps that do the food grinding part.
Third molars ( wisdom teeth)- Wisdom teeth come after the age of 18. Many people remove them as well. Nonetheless, there are many causes of removing third molars. And thus, some people have 28 teeth only.
Now that we are familiar with the anatomy of our teeth, we must decide on the best toothpaste, dental floss, and mouthwash for keeping our teeth fresh and healthy. Many pediatric dentist Mckinney recommends mint as a part of our regular oral health care realm.
Choose the best Toothpaste!
Dentists recommend toothpaste that contains menthol as a compound. Menthol has excellent teeth cleaning properties along with cooling sensations.
A fragrant and refreshing plant, mint has menthol in it. Adding mint in toothpaste does not only provide you with clean teeth but also a fresh breath. The menthol properties of the mint stimulate our brain that further interprets stimuli as a cooling sensation. We relate those sensations with minty freshness.
Importance Of Mint
Many clinical studies suggest that mint has anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties that keep our mouth healthy and germ-free. Mint also gives the impetus for saliva production that helps in better digestion. Following are the various benefits of mint:
It Provides Nutrients
Mint offers various vitamins and minerals that our body requires. The plants in the mint family are rich in Vitamin A, iron, and folate. Vitamin A and Iron are good for our overall health. However, folate particularly has its role in maintaining dental health. Folate helps in better functioning and growth of cells, and hence it supports pregnancy as well. But the hitch is to have the mint in a proper quantity.
Mint also has antioxidant properties. The antioxidants help the body recover cellular damage and give impetus to healthy cell growth as well.
Helpful For Curing Swelling
Since mint has anti-inflammatory properties, it helps in curing swelling gums.
If we apply a mint-infused solution to our bleeding gums, its antioxidant properties work to counteract them. Specifically, menthol kills the bacteria causing gingival bleeding. Mint solution can be your cold mint tea. Nonetheless, mint mouthwashes can do wonders for you!
Ease Indigestion
As per research, mint relaxes gastrointestinal (GI) tissue that addresses lower GI problems containing irritable bowel syndrome(IBS). However, mint should be taken in an optimal quantity, as it can increase the issues of upper GI if taken in a large amount.
Mint eases indigestion by stimulating the bile secretion. Mint produces more saliva in our mouth, and the saliva is the digestion-starting of our mouth. The saliva produced also helps in protecting the tooth.
The habit of eating a mint leaf after a meal helps to subside the issues of bloating and gas.
Mint Kills Germs
Mint is naturally an anti-microbial plant. So when we chew the mint leaves, bacteria contributing to tooth decay by feeding sugar to our mouth succumbs. Hence, one must involve mint in their daily oral care realm.
We have understood that mint gives impetus to the production of saliva. The saliva produced acts as a natural mouthwash rinsing away the food stuck in our teeth and inhibiting further bacteria growth.
As per many reports, the saliva produced by chewing herbal leaves contains more bicarbonates and calcium. These minerals help in maintaining the optimal pH levels of our mouth.
Optimal pH levels are mandatory to counteracting the results of eating acidic food and drinks. Furthermore, it contributes to remineralizing the tooth enamels.
Mint For Overall Health
By now, we have become familiar with why many dentists recommend mint in toothpaste, floss, mouthwash, and another dental care regime. Nevertheless, the mint plant also has various vitamins and minerals that help regulate blood pressure, oxidative stress, migraine, nausea, and numerous other issues.
Mint contains rosmarinic acid that helps regulate lower blood pressure. So if you are experiencing high blood pressure issues, mint will cover you up!
Likewise, a species of the mint family, called spearmint, has antioxidant characteristics that help combat oxidative stress, migraine, and anxiety.
Similarly, peppermint eases the problem of nausea caused due to indigestion. Additionally, it expands the pain threshold of the body and thus soothes anxiety.
Mint and mint toothpaste are comfortably available in the markets. However, if you wish to grow it, you can grow it in a container or pot. Adding mint to your eating habits will more likely be a boon for your taste buds and to your health as well.