Taking care of your pearly whites...
...or should I say "Taking care of your smooth, glossy, pale creamy-white translucent surfaced teeth"?
Anywho, having the extremist personality that I do, after a recent dentist appointment, I've been going crazy with dental hygiene. Here's a cheat-sheet I made up.
I know, I know... but I couldn't help myself!
Dental Hygiene Tips
Brushing
• Look for the American Dental Association (ADA) Seal when selecting a toothbrush
• Use soft bristle toothbrush
• Angle toothbrush with bristles towards gum and tooth (about 45-degrees)
• Brush in small, tooth-size circles
• Back of front teeth can be cleaned using tip of brush
• Chewing surfaces can be cleaned using the flat surface of your toothbrush using front and back motions
• Process should last 2 minutes regardless of age
Flossing
• Look for the ADA Seal when selecting floss
• Waxed floss makes it easier to get between teeth
• Use about 18 inches of floss
• Dirty floss can be wrapped around your middle finger
• Use index fingers and thumbs to guide floss
• Once in between teeth, pull floss back and around teeth, using up and down motions to remove plaque
Mouthwash
• Look for the ADA Seal when selecting mouthwash
• Mouthwash that is alcohol-free will burn less when rinsing and will not dry out gums as much as mouthwash with alcohol.
• Rinse after you have brushed and flossed your teeth
• Some rinses have to be diluted, so read instructions on the back.
• Use small amount of mouthwash
• Do not eat or drink for 30 minutes after rinsing
• Rinsing does not replace flossing!
Drinking tap water prevents tooth decay!
Our tax dollars pay for the fluoride content of drinking water to adjusted to meet optimal fluoride levels as recommended by the U.S. Public Health Service. Today, studies prove water fluoridation is effective in reducing tooth decay by 20-40%, even in an era with widespread availability of fluoride from other sources, such as fluoride toothpaste. According to the American Dental Association: “Community water fluoridation is the single most effective public health measure to prevent tooth decay.” Individuals who drink bottled water as their primary source of water could be missing the decay preventive effects of optimally fluoridated water available from their community water supply.
References
American Dental Association
http://www.ada.org/public/index.asp
Expert Village
http://www.youtube.com/user/expertvillage
And because I'm a dork like this...
Anywho, having the extremist personality that I do, after a recent dentist appointment, I've been going crazy with dental hygiene. Here's a cheat-sheet I made up.
I know, I know... but I couldn't help myself!
Dental Hygiene Tips
Brushing
• Look for the American Dental Association (ADA) Seal when selecting a toothbrush
• Use soft bristle toothbrush
• Angle toothbrush with bristles towards gum and tooth (about 45-degrees)
• Brush in small, tooth-size circles
• Back of front teeth can be cleaned using tip of brush
• Chewing surfaces can be cleaned using the flat surface of your toothbrush using front and back motions
• Process should last 2 minutes regardless of age
Flossing
• Look for the ADA Seal when selecting floss
• Waxed floss makes it easier to get between teeth
• Use about 18 inches of floss
• Dirty floss can be wrapped around your middle finger
• Use index fingers and thumbs to guide floss
• Once in between teeth, pull floss back and around teeth, using up and down motions to remove plaque
Mouthwash
• Look for the ADA Seal when selecting mouthwash
• Mouthwash that is alcohol-free will burn less when rinsing and will not dry out gums as much as mouthwash with alcohol.
• Rinse after you have brushed and flossed your teeth
• Some rinses have to be diluted, so read instructions on the back.
• Use small amount of mouthwash
• Do not eat or drink for 30 minutes after rinsing
• Rinsing does not replace flossing!
Drinking tap water prevents tooth decay!
Our tax dollars pay for the fluoride content of drinking water to adjusted to meet optimal fluoride levels as recommended by the U.S. Public Health Service. Today, studies prove water fluoridation is effective in reducing tooth decay by 20-40%, even in an era with widespread availability of fluoride from other sources, such as fluoride toothpaste. According to the American Dental Association: “Community water fluoridation is the single most effective public health measure to prevent tooth decay.” Individuals who drink bottled water as their primary source of water could be missing the decay preventive effects of optimally fluoridated water available from their community water supply.
References
American Dental Association
http://www.ada.org/public/index.asp
Expert Village
http://www.youtube.com/user/expertvillage
And because I'm a dork like this...
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