Dental Care Tips For Healthy Teeth and Gums

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. You can keep your teeth and gums healthy. Most problems with teeth and gums can be prevented by taking these steps:

Do a white-teeth diet

What goes in shows up on your teeth. So if you’re drinking a lot of red wine and black tea, or smoking cigarettes, expect the results to show up as not-so-pearly whites. Other culprits include colas, gravies and dark juices. The bottom line: if it’s dark before you put it in your mouth, it will probably stain your teeth. Step one: brush your teeth immediately after having foods that stain. Step two: regularly use a good bleaching agent, either from the pharmacy or your dentist. Step three: be conscious of tooth-staining foods and drinks, and have them only when a toothbrush is around. If not, have an apple for dessert.

Brush your teeth

It’s also important to brush your teeth in the morning and before going to bed. 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.

Watch out for plaque.

Plaque (“plak”) is a sticky substance that forms on your teeth. When plaque stays on your teeth too long, it can lead to tooth decay (cavities) and gum disease. Tooth decay and gum disease are the main causes of tooth loss.

Taking care of your teeth and gums is especially important if you:

• Have diabetes
• Have cancer
• Are an older adult
• Are pregnant

Drink a cup of tea everyday

Flavonoids and other ingredients in tea seem to prevent harmful bacteria from sticking to teeth, and also block production of a type of sugar that contributes to cavities. Tea also contains high amounts of fluoride.

Replace your brush

Replace your toothbrush with a new one every 3 to 4 months. Otherwise, you’re just transferring bacteria to your mouth.

Visit Your Dentist Regularly

Visit your dentist or dental therapist regularly. They have special equipment and techniques for cleaning your teeth, and it’s cheaper to get problems fixed early.

Floss daily to keep your gums healthy

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.

Grip your toothbrush like a pencil

Does your toothbrush look as if it’s been used to clean the car? If so, you’re probably brushing too hard. Contrary to what some scrub-happy people think, brushing with force is not the best way to remove plaque. The best way is to place your toothbrush at a 45 degree angle against your gums and gently move it in a circular motion, rather than a back-and-forth motion. Grip the toothbrush like a pencil so you won’t scrub too hard.

Keep teeth for eating

Keep a bottle opener and a small pair of scissors in your bag or desk drawer. If you have the right gadgets to hand, you won’t be tempted to use your teeth as tools, which can damage them. In fact, never, ever use your teeth as tools for anything except eating.