Dental Care
By B. Dear

I would like to caveat this article by saying that I am not a certified dental care professional. I’m not a medical professional in any capacity. Come to think of it, my teeth aren’t in fantastic shape either. Despite these things, I will do my best to help you have a shinier brighter smile.

Brush your teeth at least twice a day, with three times a day being optimal. I usually brush my teeth when I wake up in the morning and when I go to bed at night. I recommend the electric toothbrushes that they make now. They get my teeth very clean and they require minimal effort.

When brushing, brush in an up and down motion. Make sure that you brush the top teeth and bottom teeth, inside and out. Being thorough is more important than brushing hard. The object is to loosen up any plaque that has formed on your teeth so that you can spit it out when you rinse.

Make sure you are using toothpaste when you brush. Toothpaste contains tiny abrasive particles that help scrub plaque off your teeth. It will also make your breath smell better.

Use dental floss. Dental floss, if used properly, will get food particles out from between your teeth. A small length can be pulled off the spool, wrapped around two fingers and worked between all of your teeth. The object of flossing is to clean the spaces between your teeth. This is especially important if your teeth are close together since your toothbrush won’t be able to clean there.

Brush your tongue. Brushing your tongue will scrape away plaque and germs that contribute to bad breath. A few quick strokes of the toothbrush will allow these to be loosened up and rinsed away.

Use mouthwash. Mouthwash will kill any remaining germs in your mouth that may have survived the tooth brushing, tongue brushing, and flossing steps.

Rinse all of this away with clean fluorinated water.

There are also a few other things that you can do to keep your smile looking good:

Be sure to schedule regular dental exams. Even if you brush all the time, regular checkups and cleaning should be carried out to make sure any dental problems are promptly taken care of before they get bad.

Get braces if you need them. Orthodontic braces will make your teeth straight if they are crooked, making them easier to clean and improving your appearance.

Don’t smoke or chew tobacco. Smoking and chewing tobacco are bad habits that ultimately result in tooth decay, bad breath, mouth cancer as well as a number of other health problems. It’s best to avoid these items entirely.

Avoid soft drinks and candy with a lot of sugar in them. Sugar contributes to tooth decay. If you like to have these items, be sure to brush shortly afterward. This will minimize the effects they ma have on your teeth.

Don’t open items with your teeth. Putting foreign objects into your mouth can chip teeth and cause other injury and infection.

Remember, if you ignore your teeth, they will go away!