The 6 Best Oral Health Care Products

Keeping on top of your oral care routine isn’t just about staving off bad breath. Maintaining and improving your oral hygiene is vital to your health, and helps to prevent the build-up of acids and bacteria that can cause tooth decay and other health issues. 

Apart from regular brushing and flossing there are a wide range of products that will make your whole mouth feel super fresh and minty clean.

So, if you want to take your oral care routine from a simple scrub to an updated, and well rounded, full mouth affair, we’re here to show you the ropes with our roundup of the best products for oral hygiene.

To help you on your oral care journey we also spoke to a Dentist, Dr. Phillip Bliss, to give us the facts and some good advice about these products and how to use them.

How to brush your teeth the right way:

Okay, so I’m sure you’re probably thinking:“how could there possibly be a wrong way to brush your teeth?!”

Believe me, it’s not as intuitive as you think, and a lot of people are actually getting it wrong.

Sometimes it’s because we’re tired, sometimes it’s because we’re a bit lazy and sometimes it’s because we’re a little too enthusiastic to get the process over and done with. 

One of the first mistakes we can make is picking the wrong brush. It’s important to choose a brush with soft bristles, as well as a small enough brush head for our mouth size.

So there you have it: bigger isn’t necessarily better. 

The same goes for aggressively scrubbing your teeth. According to Dr. Phillip Bliss: “If using a manual toothbrush the most effective way is to rotate the brush in small circles following the contour of the gum, both on the inner and outer surfaces, and finishing off brushing the biting surfaces… Do not scrub the teeth as over time, sensitive grooves can develop and the gum surface can be literally brushed away.”

So, while you’re gently brushing your teeth, remember to take it slow and go for 2 minutes (and we mean a whole 2 minutes) every morning and night. 

This brings us to the big question: Is an electric toothbrush better than your regular toothbrush? 

Dr Phillip Bliss explains that “electric toothbrushes are more efficient than manual brushes as they already rotate in the correct fashion.”

So, essentially, a regular soft brushed toothbrush is going to do a great job if you use it right, but an electric toothbrush is going to do that job for you. That’s why we love ‘em. 

How to clean your tongue with a tongue cleaner:

It can be pretty easy to forget to clean your tongue in the midst of a busy oral care routine, but according to Dr. Phillip Bliss it can be “a major source of bacteria that can cause bad breath.”

According to Dr. Phillip Bliss there are a couple of ways you can clean your tongue, including using your toothbrush, or a specially designed tongue cleaner. A method we love to suggest is using a Copper Tongue Cleaner, which uses a scraping technique to purify and cleanse. 

What is a natural mouthwash?

The main thing that differentiates natural mouthwash from other generic formulas is that it excludes Alcohol, SLS and other chemical ingredients. Instead, natural mouthwashes rely on essential oils and other natural ingredients that have antibacterial properties to fight bacteria build up in your mouth. 

Dr. Phillip Bliss explains that: “There are also good bacteria in the mouth that are used in the first stage of digestion, so regular antiseptic mouth rinses should be avoided and only used on an irregular basis” This alone could be a good reason to make the switch, or at least tone down your use of regular mouthwash. 

If you suffer from dry mouth, don’t like the burning sensation of regular mouthwash, or simply prefer natural options, then natural mouthwash is a great alternative. They come in some soothing and interesting flavours, and can even feel like a bit of a treat as they help to keep your mouth clean.

• Pair it with the Aesop Toothpaste for a very sophisticated moment in your bathroom.

Does toothpaste expire?

Like most consumable products, toothpaste does unfortunately expire. However, it doesn’t necessarily become harmful to you after expiry, it just becomes less effective. That means the active ingredients in toothpaste, such as Fluoride, are no longer working. This is a good reason to change our toothpaste up every once in a while, and keep an eye on those expiry dates.

Some of our favourite toothpastes include natural formulas, whitening formulas, and formulas that are both! Natural toothpastes are free of chemicals, detergents, additives and synthetic sweeteners, which makes them preferable to people who like to avoid these things. We love them because they tend to be quite gentle and come in some flavours and formulas that we think are extra special. 

Want to know more about Adore Beauty's oral care range? Check out these helpful articles...

• I Swapped My Regular Toothpaste for Natural Toothpaste to See If They Actually Work

• How To Whiten Teeth At Home Naturally

• Ultimate Guide to Oral Care

• 3 Sexy Products to up Your Oral Hygiene Game

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