Taking Care of Your Teeth
Angela Rogers
January 11, 2008
We all know that food comes in through our mouth. Chewing the food is the first process of the body's digestive system. The teeth that line our mouth serve the function of chewing well. The front teeth serve to tear off the food while the back teeth tear it into manageable pieces which are then further broken down in our stomach. We also show our teeth when we smile and bad looking teeth can turn people off. Maintaining proper dental health is a necessary component and will help you keep your teeth for a long portion of your life.
A dental health routine should include three parts, brushing, rinsing, and flossing. Preferably in that order. Some dentists recommend brushing after every meal, others twice a day. Either answer is correct and which one you choose is a matter of individual preference.
Brushing your teeth is a fairly simple affair and the brush should be held at an angle and rubbed vigorously back and forth across the enamel of your teeth. The fronts, tops, and back of the teeth should be going over for a period of about 2 minutes. (30 seconds for each section.) Use a toothpaste with mild abrasives to move the plaque off the teeth. Brushing the tongue helps control bad breath.
The next step in a daily routine to maintain dental health is rinsing. Rinsing simply removes the toothpaste out of the mouth. Adding a fluoride rinse can help strengthen the teeth, or you can use an antibacterial mouthwash like Listerine can prevent gum diseases like gingivitis. Pour the chosen rinse into a cup, swish it around in your mouth for thirty seconds and spit it back out.
Brushing and rinsing are good at cleaning the surface of the teeth, but a major cause of tooth decay is food that gets stuck between the teeth. To remove these crumbs and clean between the teeth, dental floss is required. Take a length of floss out of the container and hold it between two hands. Take the floss down between the teeth and bring it back up to remove bits of stuck food. The American Dental Association's website recommends flossing only the teeth you want to keep.
Maintaining an oral hygiene regimen is a necessary part of good dental health. Be sure to visit the dentist regularly for professional cleanings. Cavities may pop up from time to time, but using a fluoride based toothpaste will help keep the dentist's drill outside of your mouth. It is also a necessary item to prevent halitosis, although if bad breath persists, another problem may be the cause.
A dental health routine should include three parts, brushing, rinsing, and flossing. Preferably in that order. Some dentists recommend brushing after every meal, others twice a day. Either answer is correct and which one you choose is a matter of individual preference.
Brushing your teeth is a fairly simple affair and the brush should be held at an angle and rubbed vigorously back and forth across the enamel of your teeth. The fronts, tops, and back of the teeth should be going over for a period of about 2 minutes. (30 seconds for each section.) Use a toothpaste with mild abrasives to move the plaque off the teeth. Brushing the tongue helps control bad breath.
The next step in a daily routine to maintain dental health is rinsing. Rinsing simply removes the toothpaste out of the mouth. Adding a fluoride rinse can help strengthen the teeth, or you can use an antibacterial mouthwash like Listerine can prevent gum diseases like gingivitis. Pour the chosen rinse into a cup, swish it around in your mouth for thirty seconds and spit it back out.
Brushing and rinsing are good at cleaning the surface of the teeth, but a major cause of tooth decay is food that gets stuck between the teeth. To remove these crumbs and clean between the teeth, dental floss is required. Take a length of floss out of the container and hold it between two hands. Take the floss down between the teeth and bring it back up to remove bits of stuck food. The American Dental Association's website recommends flossing only the teeth you want to keep.
Maintaining an oral hygiene regimen is a necessary part of good dental health. Be sure to visit the dentist regularly for professional cleanings. Cavities may pop up from time to time, but using a fluoride based toothpaste will help keep the dentist's drill outside of your mouth. It is also a necessary item to prevent halitosis, although if bad breath persists, another problem may be the cause.
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