Tooth decay can be quite painful, & constant trips to the dentist for fillings and root canals. Protect your pearly whites by reading this how-to!


Steps

1. Brush your teeth every morning.
2. Eat a balanced diet - many vitamin and mineral deficiencies cause gum disease!
3. Avoid eating high sugar and/or high acid foods (cookies, candy, soda) between meals. Be careful with diet soda, it may not have sugar but it certainly has a lot of acid which is just as bad!
4. Remember that it's OK to eat those sweet treats at meal times! It's not how much you eat, it's how often your teeth are exposed to that abuse.
5. Drink water after eating. Water returns the pH of your mouth to a neutral level so it can counteract the effects of acidic and sugary foods.
6. Brush and floss before bed. Look at it this way: Your mouth is going to be closed for the 8 straight hours, it's like an incubator for the bacteria making them grow like crazy.
7. Get regular cleanings. You need to have your teeth cleaned every 6 months in order to preserve your teeth and the bone that supports your teeth. Going to the dentist for a cleaning can be a very pleasant experience, especially at a dental spa. If you are uncomfortable with your dentist, see the tips section below.

Tips

• Scope & Crest Pro-Health mouthwashes help to prevent new plaque buildup throughout the day
• Listerine mouthwash not only prevents the buildup of new plaque, it is effective against deposits that are already there!
• Fluoride rinses, like Act, not only fight bacteria, they also strengthen your teeth and help remineralize the parts that have already been hurt by acid
• If you've got spaces between your teeth, look for "Proxy brushes" to use in addition to floss
  • Contrary to popular belief, tooth loss (of your adult teeth) is not a natural part of aging! There are plenty of 80+ year old patients with all of their teeth. And it's a lot easier to eat and talk with your natural teeth than it is with a denture.
• If your dentist doesn't make you comfortable, don't let that stop you from getting regular cleanings and check-ups. Talk to your dentist and let them know how you feel, chances are they simply couldn't sense it and that the problem may be easily fixed. Also, ask around and see who your friends go to - I guarantee that you know someone who feels that their dentist is the most gentle and caring person in the world!

Warnings

• Make sure you use a soft bristled toothbrush. If you don't, your gums could bleed very easily, and it could irritate your mouth.
• Move your brush up and down on each tooth or in a small circular motion on each tooth rather than simply horizontally across the teeth
• Most tooth and gum disease doesn't hurt. Once you actually have a toothache, the tooth is almost beyond repair and there are very few options left for it. This is why it's so important to have regular check-ups and cleaning - without them, the disease progresses silently until you start losing teeth and end up with dentures.