subject: How To Care For One's Teeth - Some Tips [print this page] Going to see the dentist too often may cost you a lot of money. This is one of the key reasons your dentist will ask you to take good care of your teeth at home. What does it mean - taking good care of your teeth? Actually, it is as simple as brushing and flossing your teeth on a daily basis.
What happens if you don't floss and brush your teeth is that the bacteria in your mouth eat the sugar that you have eaten. Their by-product is an acid which is harmful to your teeth and will, in fact, decay them. Carelessly, lackadaisically, or otherwise just not brushing your teeth will, in turn, cause bad teeth and gums.
Okay, so there are lots of different toothbrushes when you go to the supermarket - red, black, white, pink; the ones with the small handles, long handles, odd-shaped handles, straight bristles, diagonal bristles, cross bristles, soft, medium or hard, small, medium or large; and there are lots and lots of brands: Oral-B, Colgate, Crest, Aquafresh ... Which to buy? As a rule of thumb, choosing one with a small head and soft bristles is recommended. This way, you can get into all the open spaces easily while not damaging your gums in the process. After that, the physical appearance and how much to pay is up to your personal preference. As far as I can see, all that the toothbrush companies do is to make toothbrushes more attractive to sell, with supposed benefits vouched for by dental professionals. However, if you keep the above tips in mind, you're all right.
Every few months, you should change out your toothbrush. The recommended time period for brushing your teeth is 2 minutes. There is no particular sequence to brushing your teeth, but you should thoroughly cover all surfaces, brush in circles and up, and be gentle -- don't damage your teeth or gums. Do cover the edges of your gums, since the bristles of your brush will be able to get underneath the edge of your gum, removing any dirt from there as well.
Flossing is easy. Take out a strip of floss (or a flossing stick) and, one after another, floss between your teeth and also under the edge of each tooth, where it meets the gums. This is where bacteria hides.
Brushing your teeth or chewing gum after eating also helps maintain healthy teeth.
Basically, your dentist will urge you to:
a) Brush your teeth thoroughly twice a day.
b) Floss your teeth as well once a day.
c) Visit your dentist at least once every 6 months.
If there are any further questions regarding taking care of your teeth at home, ask your dentist.
