Your dentist in Framingham isn’t just interested in your teeth — any excellent medical professional is concerned with your overall health as well. A big key to keeping your body healthy and strong actually begins with your hands. Keeping them clean through regular hand washing helps to prevent the spread of some of the most common viruses and bacteria. That’s what we call good “hand hygiene!”
Hand hygiene is important for people of all ages. By keeping this part of your body clean, you can help to avoid the spread of germs that put your overall health at risk. Everyone should wash their hands regularly, but it is especially important for people who work in in healthcare, food handling, hospitality, and roles with lots of person-to-person interaction.
Keeping your hands clean is about more than just rubbing soap quickly over them. To achieve a thorough, proper wash, keep these tips in mind.
Wash hands before eating, after using the restroom, after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, before and after interacting with someone who is sick, after handling animals, or when your hands are visibly dirty.
Always wash hands with warm water and a dollop of antibacterial soap.
Wash for about thirty seconds, or long enough to sing the ABCs (to yourself!).
Clean between your fingers and at the base of your hands, too.
Dry your hands thoroughly with a clean cloth or paper towel. Use a towel only once.
Repeat as needed throughout the day!
Even when you don’t realize it, your hands always make their way to your mouth somehow. Maybe it’s through a persistent nail biting habit, or perhaps it’s while you’re digging into a bowl of nuts. Either way, humans are constantly exposing themselves to bacteria transferred from the hands to the mouth.
We always talk about hand hygiene around cold and flu season, but this practice is critical at all times of year. When you wash your hands like you should, you are preventing the spread of common germs that can put you and those close to you at risk of illness.
The connection between hand washing and oral health may not seem so obvious at first, but your dentist is committed to this practice because keeping your systemic well-being strong is crucial for proper oral health as well. Illness that causes dry mouth or nausea, like the flu and cold, can put your teeth and gums at risk. That’s why keeping these sicknesses at bay is a primary concern for your dentist and your doctor!
Now that you have been reminded of the basics of hand hygiene, don’t forget to practice them! Keeping your hands clean is important for your lasting overall health as well.
Dr. Mark Fried and his team offer comprehensive dental care from the comfort of their state-of-the-art office. To learn more about their general, restorative, or cosmetic treatments or to schedule an appointment with your dentist in Framingham, please do not hesitate to get in touch by calling 508-872-9339 today!
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