Helpful Tips

Brushing

As you know, daily brushing makes a big impact on your dental health and on your general health. Thankfully, brushing is easy to do! Here are some tips to maximize the benefits of your daily brushing:

• Be gentle when you brush!
• Use a toothbrush with soft bristles that fits your mouth size – a big brush won’t get to the back teeth and a small one will make brushing time longer.
• Use toothpaste with fluoride in it – kids should use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste, and adults should cover the length of the bristles with toothpaste.
• Brush at least two times a day – at least when you wake up and before you go to bed. If you can, brush after every meal. If you can’t brush or floss after meals or snacks, at least rinse out your mouth, especially after eating sugary foods.
• Brush for two minutes. And to ensure you actually brush for two minutes, gauge your time with a clock.
• Replace your toothbrush every three months or when the bristles get bent.
• Brush your tongue gently to get rid of germs that cause bad breath.

Flossing

Flossing your teeth is just as important as brushing because it gets between your teeth, where the toothbrush can’t go. Use dental floss to remove food and plaque from between your teeth, which will help you avoid cavities. Here are some tips to ensure proper flossing habits:

• Floss once a day after you brush.
• Choose a dental floss based on your own preferences. However, waxed floss is usually the easiest to use.
• Use about 18 inches (a little less than an arm’s length) of floss. Hold the floss tightly with your fingers and gently slide the floss between your teeth. Holding the floss against the side of each tooth, gently scrape up and down. As you move to a new section of teeth, use a clean section of the floss.
• Repeat these steps between all of your teeth. Remember to get the backside of your last teeth!

Eating Healthy

Follow these important diet tips to help keep your teeth healthy:

• Snack on crunchy fruits and vegetables like apples or carrots, which clean your teeth like a toothbrush.
• Eat plenty of foods like cheese and yogurt. The calcium in them keeps your bones and teeth strong.
• At most, eat sugary snacks or drink sugary drinks (like soda) once a day.

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