Taking care of your teeth

Tooth Care at Home
According to dentists, the most important part of tooth care happens at home. Brushing and flossing properly, along with regular dental checkups, can help prevent tooth decay and gum disease. And if you're like most people, you don't exactly look forward to facing a dentist's drill. So wouldn't it be better to prevent cavities before they begin?

Giving Plaque the Brush Off
To prevent cavities, you need to remove plaque , the transparent layer of bacteria that coats the teeth, by brushing your teeth twice a day. Brushing also stimulates the gums, which helps to keep them healthy and prevent gum disease. Brushing - along with flossing - is the most important thing that you can do to keep your teeth and gums healthy.

Did you know that the toothbrush was invented by the Chinese in 1,000 AD? We now have lots of choices in toothbrushes, including different sizes, shapes, types of bristles, and colors. Your dentist will tell you which toothbrush is the right size and shape for you. Most often, however, dentists recommend a soft-bristled brush to minimize damage to teeth and gums.

What's in a Toothpaste?
Toothpastes contain 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 this ingredient.

About one in 10 people has a tendency to accumulate tartar (another word for plaque) quickly. Using antitartar toothpastes and mouthwashes, 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 (like Sensodyne) for sensitive teeth. But you'll still need to talk to your dentist about your sensitivity because it may indicate a more serious problem, such as a cavity or nerve inflammation (irritation).

There is no evidence that toothpastes containing baking soda have any special cleaning or whitening abilities. Although you may want gleaming white teeth, be careful when buying over-the-counter products. Some bleaching agents may cause damage to your gums and mouth. If you want to whiten your teeth, talk to your dentist. He or she may be able to offer you professional treatment.

Tips on Proper Brushing
Dentists say that the minimum time you should spend brushing your teeth is 2 minutes twice a day. Here are some tips on how to brush properly:

• Hold your brush at a 45-degree angle against your gumline. Gently brush (hard scrubbing may cause receding gums, tooth sensitivity, and over time, loose teeth) from where the tooth and gum meet to the chewing surface in short (about half-a-tooth-wide) strokes.
• 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.
• Use an egg timer or play a favorite song while brushing your teeth to get used to brushing for a full 2 to 3 minutes.

Facts on Flossing
Although brushing is important, it won't remove the plaque and particles of food between your teeth, under the gumline, or under braces. You'll need to floss these spaces at least once a day.

The type of floss you choose depends on how much space you have between your teeth. Although unwaxed floss is often recommended because it is thinner and easier to slide through small spaces, studies have shown that there is no major difference in the effectiveness based on the type of floss used.

With any floss, you should be careful to avoid injuring your gums. Follow these instructions:

• Carefully insert the floss between two teeth, using a back and forth motion. Gently bring the floss to the gumline, but don't force it under the gums. Curve the floss around the edge of your tooth in the shape of the letter "C" and slide it up and down the side of each tooth.
• Repeat this process between all your teeth, and remember to floss the back sides of your back teeth.

The Nutrition Connection
Eating sugar, as you probably already know, is a major cause of tooth decay. When and how often you eat sugar may be more important than how much you eat.

When you eat sugary foods or drink sodas frequently throughout the day, the enamel that protects your teeth is constantly exposed to acids. Hard candies, cough drops, and breath mints are especially harmful because they dissolve slowly in your mouth. Many experts suggest that you take a 3-hour break between eating foods containing sugar.

Sugary or starchy foods eaten with a meal are less harmful to your teeth than when they're eaten alone, possibly because the production of saliva, which washes away the sugar and bacteria, is increased. However, sugary foods eaten before you go to bed can be very damaging (especially if you don't brush your teeth afterward) because you don't produce as much saliva when you sleep.

For most people, it's hard to cut out sweets completely, so try to follow these more realistic guidelines:

• Eat carbohydrates (sugars and starches) with a meal.
• If you can't brush your teeth after eating, rinse your mouth with water, mouthwash, or chew sugarless gum.
• Don't eat sugary foods between meals.
• If you snack, eat nonsugary foods, such as cheese, popcorn, raw veggies, or yogurt.

Going to the Dentist
The main reason for going to the dentist regularly - every 6 months - is prevention . The goal is to prevent tooth decay, gum disease, and other disorders that put the health of your teeth and mouth at risk.

Your first consultation with a dentist will probably consist of three main parts: a dental and medical history, a dental examination, and a professional cleaning.

Once your history is taken, the dentist will examine your teeth, gums, and other mouth tissues. Also, the dentist may examine the joints of your jaws.

When examining your teeth, your dentist will use a mirror and probe (a metal pick-like instrument) to look at the crown (visible part) of each tooth, looking for plaque and evidence of looseness or decay. The dentist will also check your bite and the way your teeth fit together (also called occlusion ).

Your dentist will also examine the general condition of your gums, which should be firm and pink, and not soft, swollen, or inflamed. A probe will be used to check the depth of the sulcus , the slight depression where each tooth meets the gum. Deep depressions, called pockets, are evidence of gum disease.

After examining the visible parts of your teeth and mouth, your dentist will take X-rays that might reveal tooth decay, abscesses (collections of pus surrounded by swollen tissue), or impacted wisdom teeth.

Professional cleaning is usually performed by a dental hygienist, a specially trained and licensed dental professional. Cleaning consists mainly of removing hard deposits using a scaler (a scraping instrument) or an ultrasonic machine, which uses high-frequency sound waves to loosen plaque deposits. The particles are then rinsed off with water.

Once the teeth are cleaned, they are polished. The process cleans and smoothes the surfaces of the teeth, removing stains and making it harder for plaque to stick to the teeth.

Finally, the dentist or hygienist may treat your teeth with a fluoride compound or a sealant to help prevent decay.

At the end of your visit, the dentist or an assistant will arrange future visits or let you know if you need to return sooner - to fill a cavity, for example. Your dentist may also refer you to an orthodontist if he or she thinks you may need braces .

More Dental Problems
Dental caries (tooth decay) can attack the teeth at any age. In fact, 84% of 17-year-olds have the disease. After the common cold , dental caries have been called the world's most widespread health problem.

Left untreated, caries can cause severe pain and result in tooth loss. Losing teeth affects how you look and feel about yourself as well as your ability to chew and speak. Treating caries is also expensive. So prevention and early treatment is important.

It may surprise you to know that 60% of 15-year-olds experience gingivitis , the first stage of gum disease. Gingivitis involves the gums, but not the underlying bone and ligament. When you remove plaque regularly and follow good oral hygiene habits, your gums usually will return to their healthy state. However, in its more serious form, the gums swell, turn red, bleed, and sometimes cause discomfort. Gingivitis is almost always caused by an accumulation of plaque.

There is no single way to treat gum disease, including gingivitis. Treatment varies and depends on the extent of the disease. The goal of any therapy is to reduce the bacteria causing the disease, reduce any gum inflammation by controlling plaque, and prepare the teeth and gums (by restoring cavities and reducing excessive gum pockets) so that you can clean them properly.