Oral Health
How to Brush Your Teeth
The first step is to choose a good toothbrush. You always want to use a soft brush with a small head. A soft brush is hard enough to remove plaque yet gentle enough to avoid damaging your teeth or gums.
The next issue is to select good toothpaste. In general, any toothpaste that contains fluoride will do the job, unless you have special needs that are determined by your dentist. Two of the best brands of toothpaste are Colgate Total and Crest Multicare.
The first rule of brushing is to start from a specific location and work your way to the opposite side, continuing through the whole mouth to end where you started. This way you won't miss any area. Usually, a pea-sized amount of toothpaste is enough.
An adequate brushing should at least take 2 minutes and preferably around 4 minutes. There are a variety of techniques for brushing your teeth, but one of the most popular ones is described here:
Hold the brush at a 45-degree angle toward the teeth and gums. Gently press against the gums so the bristles' tips go in between the gum and the teeth. Then apply a few lateral strokes and roll down the brush to sweep the plaque away from the teeth and the gum. Repeat this motion 6 to 10 times and move on to the next area of 2 to 3 teeth.
If your mouth is full of foam, spit it out and continue brushing. Your brushing is completed when you have brushed all the surfaces of your teeth, not when your mouth is full! On chewing surfaces, short strokes work best to get the plaque out of the grooves and pits. When brushing the backside of your front teeth, hold your brush vertically to reach the teeth better.
As far as brushing frequency is concerned, ideally, you want to brush your teeth after each meal. But if you can’t, brush at least twice a day—after breakfast and before going to bed.
How to Floss Your Teeth
The surfaces between teeth are not accessible to brushing; therefore, the best way to clean them is by flossing. The frequency of flossing is like that of brushing, and ideally, it should be done after each meal, though one time a day (before going to bed) is the minimum necessary.
Getting Set for Success
To start, cut a piece of dental floss (approximately 2 feet). Wrap both sides of the floss around your middle fingers. Using your index and thumb, glide the floss in between all your teeth one by one. When flossing, make sure you are not cutting your gums.
Perfecting Your Technique
The goal is to clean the tooth surfaces, not the gums. In the space between teeth, press the floss against each side of the tooth (hug the tooth) and gently move it back and forth and up and down. Then move to the opposite surface of the adjacent tooth.
Electric Brush Versus Manual Brushes
There have been multiple studies comparing the effectiveness of manual brushes as opposed to electric brushes.
What Research Shows
Although not all electric brushes are the same, these studies conclude that electric brushes are more efficient in controlling plaque than manual brushes. Theoretically, you can do a very good brushing with a regular hand brush, but an electric brush's movements make the task easier and more effective.
Features That Support Better Cleaning
Also, some electric brushes (Sonicare) produce sonic vibrations that are difficult to mimic with a hand brush! Other electric brushes like Oral-B and Rotadent have small heads that help you access hard-to-reach areas of your mouth. This aspect is more important when talking about someone with orthodontic braces or a history of gum disease.
Dental Health and Your Diet
Sugar is the main cause of dental decay when there are bacteria present. More significant than the amount of sugar you eat is the frequency of consumption. Probably the worst thing you can do to your teeth is to drink a soda and have a sip every few minutes over a long period; the same is true for snacking.
It is recommended that if you want to have a snack or soda or juice, it is better to have it after food or dessert or have it in one sitting. Eating or drinking something sweet over an extended period creates a constant sugar supply for bacteria that causes tooth decay!
It is important to be aware of all the sources of sugar that are out there. It is not just everything sweet, but anything that can turn to sugar, like pieces of bread. Cutting down your sugar intake is good for cavity prevention, as well as your general health.
But what about when you have to have sugar? The best way to avoid cavities is to prevent the sugar from staying next to your teeth. Brushing after eating sugar, rinsing your mouth with fluoride mouthwash, or chewing sugarless gum can help. However, nothing has the effect of avoiding sugar!
Is there any food that prevents tooth decay? Well, not really. Some people believed that chewing foods like apples and carrots might have some plaque removal effect, but they still contain some sugar, so any advantage is not clear.
Another group of foods that causes significant damage to tooth structure is acidic foods. If in frequent contact with teeth, things like lime, lemon, and grapefruit can cause serious irreversible damage (erosion) to your teeth.
Fluoride and Decay Prevention
Many years ago, scientists noticed that children born and raised in areas with natural fluoride in drinking water had fewer cavities than children in other areas. Fluoride absorbed by your body when teeth were forming (from mother’s pregnancy to early childhood) integrates into the enamel structure and makes it stronger.
Complete Protection for Enamel
After teeth eruption, fluoride found in your toothpaste, mouthwash, or what your dentist places on your teeth still has a positive effect on your teeth. It strengthens the enamel and reduces the chance of tooth decay.
Helping Little Smiles Stay Strong
If you have children and live in an area with no fluoride in its drinking water, you should consult your dentist and physician about fluoride tablets available for children.
