Brushing and flossing are the cornerstones of dental health, but there's more you can do to ensure that your teeth and mouth are in great shape.
Your oral health is about more than a sparkling, white smile. It’s also about protecting your mouth from plaque, the sticky bacteria that can build up on your teeth and gums. The bacteria produce acids in your mouth that can weaken your tooth enamel, lead to tooth decay, and irritate your gums. They can also lead to the number one cause of tooth loss in adults: gum disease.Your dental health routine and the right dental products can help.
Choose Your Toothbrush Wisely
You have two options for your primary dental health tool: a manual or electric toothbrush. Both are effective at cleaning your teeth, provided you’re brushing correctly, says Maricelle Abayon, DMD, of Eastman Dental Urgent Care in the Eastman Institute for Oral Health at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York. Some people like the novelty of an electric toothbrush and are more likely to brush regularly with one, she says. For healthy teeth, choose the style that works best for you, then brush twice a day with another key dental product, fluoride toothpaste, and replace your toothbrush (or the head of your electric toothbrush) every three to four months.
Hone Your Brushing Technique
Everyone brushes the chewing surface of their teeth, but some people miss the other surfaces, such as the fronts and backs of each tooth and the surfaces that face the insides of the cheeks, as well as the lips, tongue, and roof of the mouth.
To brush correctly for optimal dental health, place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle against the tooth and gum and vibrate it (rather than scrubbing hard) on each surface of each tooth for one or two seconds, Dr. Abayon advises. For healthy teeth in the back of your mouth, it helps to close your mouth over the toothbrush to create more room.
Don't Forget to Clean Your Tongue
Your oral health routine should always include brushing your tongue with your toothbrush or using a tongue scraper, which you can find in the dental products aisle at the drugstore. That’s important because foods can get stuck in the grooves of your tongue, causing bacteria to grow. Other oral health problems that can develop if you don't clean your tongue are a bad taste in your mouth, staining on your tongue, and bad breath, Abayon says.
Floss Where Your Brush Can't Reach
Bacteria that cause tooth decay and other dental health issues can lurk between your teeth where your toothbrush can’t reach, which is why flossing is a necessity. Any type of waxed floss should work well, Abayon says. Be sure to slide the floss between the gum and tooth. If there’s space between your teeth, using an interdental cleaner may work better than floss. If you have a bridge, you may want to use an interdental cleaner or a special floss threader that can effectively clean underneath the bridge, she adds.
Swish an Antimicrobial Rinse
If you’re brushing and flossing well, you’re probably doing a good job of maintaining your oral health, Abayon says. However, you may want to use a third dental product as a smart supplement to brushing and flossing: an antimicrobial mouthwash, which can kill bacteria in the mouth. If you’re at risk for some oral diseases, your dentist may order a prescription-strength mouthwash for you to use.
Don't Have Frequent Sugary Snacks
Frequently eating food with added sugars can lead to an increased risk of cavities, a dental health concern even for adults. The sugar can change the environment of your mouth and make it more favorable to the bacteria that create acids and lead to cavities, Abayon warns. When it comes to healthy teeth, it’s the frequency of the snacks that matters, she says.
When you do snack on sugary foods (including acidic fruits), protect your dental health by following the food with a glass of water to dilute the acids in your mouth.
Chew a Stick of Sugarless Gum
When you chew sugarless gum after a meal, it creates additional saliva in your mouth that helps to neutralize the acids that lead to tooth decay and oral health problems. Chewing gum doesn’t replace brushing or flossing, but studies have found that chewing sugarless gum for 20 minutes after eating may help maintain healthy teeth and prevent tooth decay, according to the American Dental Association.
Put Down That Cigarette
Smoking cigarettes may be one of the biggest risk factors for gum disease, a dangerous oral health threat. Also, smokers who have been treated for gum disease or have had oral surgery heal more slowly than people who don’t smoke. In addition, smoking is associated with oral cancer, and it can leave yellow nicotine stains on your teeth and cause bad breath. For optimal oral health — and overall health — throw out those cigarettes.
Get Your Fill of Fluoride
Adding fluoride to community water systems has been the most effective public health measure for preventing tooth decay, according to the American Dental Association. About 72 percent of the population connected to municipal water systems in the United States has fluoride in its water, so simply filling your water glass from the faucet can make it more likely you'll have healthy teeth. If your community's water isn't fluoridated or if you drink water from a well, you may need a fluoride supplement for better dental health. Ask your doctor about it, Abayon says.
Shop for Dental Insurance
Having dental insurance means you’re more likely to go to the dentist every six months for cleanings to preserve healthy teeth and oral health in general. Regular check-ups mean you’re less likely to lose teeth as a result of gum disease and cavities. “I work in a clinic where most of the patients don’t have dental insurance and they say that’s the main reason they don’t go to the dentist regularly,” Abayon says. Those patients tend to end up with tooth pain and need to have teeth pulled, among other dental health issues. If you can’t buy insurance and dental visits are too expensive, look for a community-based clinic that gives discounts, she suggests.
Choose Your Toothbrush Wisely
You have two options for your primary dental health tool: a manual or electric toothbrush. Both are effective at cleaning your teeth, provided you’re brushing correctly, says Maricelle Abayon, DMD, of Eastman Dental Urgent Care in the Eastman Institute for Oral Health at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York. Some people like the novelty of an electric toothbrush and are more likely to brush regularly with one, she says. For healthy teeth, choose the style that works best for you, then brush twice a day with another key dental product, fluoride toothpaste, and replace your toothbrush (or the head of your electric toothbrush) every three to four months.
Hone Your Brushing Technique
Everyone brushes the chewing surface of their teeth, but some people miss the other surfaces, such as the fronts and backs of each tooth and the surfaces that face the insides of the cheeks, as well as the lips, tongue, and roof of the mouth.
To brush correctly for optimal dental health, place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle against the tooth and gum and vibrate it (rather than scrubbing hard) on each surface of each tooth for one or two seconds, Dr. Abayon advises. For healthy teeth in the back of your mouth, it helps to close your mouth over the toothbrush to create more room.
Don't Forget to Clean Your Tongue
Your oral health routine should always include brushing your tongue with your toothbrush or using a tongue scraper, which you can find in the dental products aisle at the drugstore. That’s important because foods can get stuck in the grooves of your tongue, causing bacteria to grow. Other oral health problems that can develop if you don't clean your tongue are a bad taste in your mouth, staining on your tongue, and bad breath, Abayon says.
Floss Where Your Brush Can't Reach
Bacteria that cause tooth decay and other dental health issues can lurk between your teeth where your toothbrush can’t reach, which is why flossing is a necessity. Any type of waxed floss should work well, Abayon says. Be sure to slide the floss between the gum and tooth. If there’s space between your teeth, using an interdental cleaner may work better than floss. If you have a bridge, you may want to use an interdental cleaner or a special floss threader that can effectively clean underneath the bridge, she adds.
Swish an Antimicrobial Rinse
If you’re brushing and flossing well, you’re probably doing a good job of maintaining your oral health, Abayon says. However, you may want to use a third dental product as a smart supplement to brushing and flossing: an antimicrobial mouthwash, which can kill bacteria in the mouth. If you’re at risk for some oral diseases, your dentist may order a prescription-strength mouthwash for you to use.
Don't Have Frequent Sugary Snacks
Frequently eating food with added sugars can lead to an increased risk of cavities, a dental health concern even for adults. The sugar can change the environment of your mouth and make it more favorable to the bacteria that create acids and lead to cavities, Abayon warns. When it comes to healthy teeth, it’s the frequency of the snacks that matters, she says.
When you do snack on sugary foods (including acidic fruits), protect your dental health by following the food with a glass of water to dilute the acids in your mouth.
Chew a Stick of Sugarless Gum
When you chew sugarless gum after a meal, it creates additional saliva in your mouth that helps to neutralize the acids that lead to tooth decay and oral health problems. Chewing gum doesn’t replace brushing or flossing, but studies have found that chewing sugarless gum for 20 minutes after eating may help maintain healthy teeth and prevent tooth decay, according to the American Dental Association.
Put Down That Cigarette
Smoking cigarettes may be one of the biggest risk factors for gum disease, a dangerous oral health threat. Also, smokers who have been treated for gum disease or have had oral surgery heal more slowly than people who don’t smoke. In addition, smoking is associated with oral cancer, and it can leave yellow nicotine stains on your teeth and cause bad breath. For optimal oral health — and overall health — throw out those cigarettes.
Get Your Fill of Fluoride
Adding fluoride to community water systems has been the most effective public health measure for preventing tooth decay, according to the American Dental Association. About 72 percent of the population connected to municipal water systems in the United States has fluoride in its water, so simply filling your water glass from the faucet can make it more likely you'll have healthy teeth. If your community's water isn't fluoridated or if you drink water from a well, you may need a fluoride supplement for better dental health. Ask your doctor about it, Abayon says.
Shop for Dental Insurance
Having dental insurance means you’re more likely to go to the dentist every six months for cleanings to preserve healthy teeth and oral health in general. Regular check-ups mean you’re less likely to lose teeth as a result of gum disease and cavities. “I work in a clinic where most of the patients don’t have dental insurance and they say that’s the main reason they don’t go to the dentist regularly,” Abayon says. Those patients tend to end up with tooth pain and need to have teeth pulled, among other dental health issues. If you can’t buy insurance and dental visits are too expensive, look for a community-based clinic that gives discounts, she suggests.
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