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Taking Care of your Teeth
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Taking Care of your Teeth

Dentists say that the most important aspect of taking care of the teeth takes place at home.

Brushing and flossing properly, along with regular dental check-ups, can help prevent tooth decay and gum disease.

If you’re like most people, you don’t exactly look forward to facing a dentist for him to drill your teeth. So wouldn’t it be better to prevent cavities before they begin?

To prevent cavities, you need to remove plaque, the transparent layer of bacteria that coats the teeth. The best way to do this is by brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing at least once a day. Brushing also stimulates the gums, which helps to keep them healthy and prevent gum disease.

Brushing and flossing are the most important things that you can do to keep your teeth and gums healthy.

Toothpaste contains abrasives, detergents and foaming agents. Fluoride, the most common active ingredient in toothpaste, is what prevents cavities. So you should always be sure your toothpaste contains fluoride.

It is believed that about one person in 10 has a tendency to accumulate tartar quickly. Tartar is plaque in a hardened form that is more damaging and difficult to remove. Using anti-tartar toothpaste and mouthwash, as well as spending extra time brushing the teeth near the salivary glands (the inside of the lower front teeth and the outside of the upper back teeth), may slow the development of new tartar.

If you have teeth that are sensitive to heat, cold and pressure, you may want to try a special toothpaste for sensitive teeth. But you’ll still need to talk to a dentist about your sensitivity because it may indicate a more serious problem, such as a cavity or nerve inflammation (irritation).

Tips on Proper Brushing
Dentists say the minimum period you should spend brushing your teeth is two minutes twice a day. Here are some tips on how to brush properly:

Hold your brush at a 45-degree angle against your gum line. Gently brush from where the tooth and gum meet to the chewing surface in short (about half-a-tooth-wide) strokes. Brushing too hard can cause receding gums, tooth sensitivity and, over time, loose teeth.

Use the same method to brush all outside and inside surfaces of your teeth.

To clean the chewing surfaces of your teeth, use short sweeping strokes, tipping the bristles into the pits and crevices.
To clean the inside surfaces of your top and bottom front teeth and gums, hold the brush almost vertical. With back and forth motions, bring the front part of the brush over the teeth and gums.

Using a forward-sweeping motion, gently brush your tongue and the roof of your mouth to remove the decay-causing bacteria that exist in these places.

You can play a favourite song while brushing your teeth to get used to brushing for a full two to three minutes. 

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