Bonnie Rae DMD, Bonnie Rae DDS, Bonnie Rae Dentist

Dr. Bonnie Rae DDS says open wide, it’s time to discuss oral health!

The first step to good brushing is a good toothbrush. Always use a soft brush with a small head. A soft brush is hard enough to remove plaque and soft enough not to damage your teeth or gums… 

The next issue is to choose good toothpaste. Any toothpaste that contains Fluoride will do the job, unless you have a special need that has been determined by your dentist.

The first rule of brushing is to start from a specific location and work your way to the opposite side and all the way through the whole mouth so that you end where you started.  You only need a pea size amount of toothpaste for the whole mouth. A good brushing should at least take 2 minutes.

Ideally you should brush your teeth after each meal. But if you can’t, brush at least twice a day after breakfast and before going to bed.
 
 

The surfaces that are between teeth are not accessible to the brush; so the best way to clean          between your teeth is by flossing. The frequency of flossing is like brushing and is most ideal after    each meal, though once a day (before going to bed) is the minimum necessary.
 
To start, cut a piece of dental floss (approximately 2 feet). Wrap both sides of the floss around your middle fingers. Using your index and thumb move the floss in between all your teeth one by one. When flossing, make sure you are not cutting your gum. The goal is to clean the teeth surfaces and not the gum. In each space in between the teeth, press the floss against each tooth (hug the tooth) and gently move it back and forth and up and down and then move to the opposite surface of the adjacent tooth.

 
Probably the worst thing you can do to your teeth is to hold a soda and have a sip every few minutes during a long period of time; the same is true for snacking. It is recommended that if you want to have a snack or a soda or juice it is better to have it after food, as dessert or have it in one sitting. Eating or drinking something sweet during a long period of time creates a constant supply of sugar for bacteria that cause tooth decay!
The best way to prevent cavities is to prevent the sugar from staying next to your teeth. Brushing after eating sugar, rinsing your mouth with Fluoride mouth wash or chewing sugarless gum can help. But nothing has the effect of avoiding sugar!
Another group of food that causes significant damage to teeth structure is acidic foods. Things like lime, lemon and grapefruit, if in frequent contact with teeth, can cause serious irreversible damage to your teeth.