Teeth and Gum Care
With proper care, your teeth and gums
can stay healthy throughout your life. The healthier your teeth and gums are, the less risk you have for tooth decay and gum
disease.
How Should I Care for My Teeth and
Gums?
There are four basic steps to caring
for teeth and gums:
Brushing
Flossing
Eating right
Visiting the dentist
Tips for Brushing
Brush at least twice a day. If you
can, brush after every meal. Brushing removes plaque, a film of bacteria that clings to teeth. When bacteria in plaque come
into contact with food, they produce acids. These acids lead to cavities. To brush:
Place a pea-sized dab of fluoride
toothpaste on the head of the toothbrush. (Use a soft toothbrush.)
Place the toothbrush against the teeth
at a 45-degree angle to the gum line.
Move the brush across the teeth using
a small circular motion. Continue with this motion cleaning one tooth at a time. Keep the tips of the bristles against the
gum line. Avoid pressing so hard that the bristles lie flat against the teeth. (Only the tips of the toothbrush clean the
teeth.) Let the bristles reach into spaces between teeth.
Brush across the top of the chewing
surfaces of the teeth. Make sure the bristles get into the groves and crevices.
Use the same small circular motion
to clean the backside of the upper and lower teeth – the side that faces the tongue.
To clean the inside of the bottom
front teeth, angle the head in an up-and-down position toward the bottom inside of the mouth and move the toothbrush in a
small circle.
For the inside of the top front teeth,
angle the brush in an up-and-down position with the tip of the head pointing towards the roof of the mouth. Move the toothbrush
in a small circle.
Give your tongue a few gentle brush
strokes, brushing from the back of your tongue forward. Do not scrub. This helps remove bacteria and freshens your breath.
After brushing your teeth for two
to three minutes, rinse your mouth with water.
Replace your toothbrush with a new
one every 3 to 4 months.
Tips for Flossing
Floss once a day. Flossing gets rid
of food and plaque between the teeth, where your toothbrush cannot reach. If plaque stays between teeth, it can harden into
tartar, which must be removed by a dentist. To floss:
Remove about an 18-inch strip of floss
from the dispenser.
Wind the floss around the middle fingers
of each hand, leaving a 1-inch section open for flossing. Floss the top teeth first, then the bottom.
Place the floss in your mouth and
use your index fingers to push the floss between the teeth. Be careful not to push too hard and injure the gums.
Move the floss up and down against
the tooth and up and around the gum line. The floss should form a C-shape around the tooth as you floss.
Floss between each tooth as well as
behind the back teeth.
Use a clean section of floss as needed
and take up used floss by winding it around the fingers.
Tips for Eating Right
Eat a variety of foods but eat fewer
foods that contain sugars and starches. These foods produce the most acids in the mouth and the longer they stay in the mouth,
the more they can damage the teeth. Hard "sucking candies" are especially harmful because they stay in the mouth a long time.
Snacking on sugary foods can lead
to tooth decay because most people don't brush after snacks. Starchy snack foods, like potato chips, stick to the teeth. Avoid
snacking on:
Candies, cookies, cakes and pie
Sugary gum
Crackers, breadsticks and chips
Dried fruits and raisins
Dental Check-Ups
Visit your dentist at least once every
six months. To maintain healthy teeth and gums, it's important to have regular check-ups and professional cleanings. You should
also see your dentist if you have pain in your teeth or mouth or bleeding, swollen gums.
You can also ask your dentist about
dental sealants. Sealant is a material used to coat the top, chewing surfaces of the teeth. This coating protects the tooth
from decay and usually lasts a long time