Taking Care of Your Teeth

Dentists say that the most important part of tooth care occurs at home. Brushing and flossing, along with going to the dentist regularly, can help prevent tooth decay and gum disease.

If you’re like most people, you should not fancy much to think about going to the dentist and especially seeing the drill used to heal your teeth, why is it not better to prevent cavities before they appear?

Removing dental plaque
To prevent cavities, you need to remove plaque, the transparent layer of bacteria that coats the teeth. The best way to do this is by brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing at least once daily. Brushing also stimulates the gums, which helps keep them healthy and prevent diseases. Brushing and flossing are the most important steps you can take to keep your teeth and gums healthy.

The Toothpastes contain abrasives, detergents and foaming agents. Fluoride, the most common active ingredient in toothpaste, is what prevents cavities. Therefore, you must make sure your toothpaste contains fluoride.

About one in ten people have a tendency to accumulate tartar quickly. Tartar is hardened plaque more damaging and difficult to remove. Use toothpastes and mouthwashes that fight tartar and spend a few extra minutes to brush your teeth near the salivary glands (the inside of the front teeth of the lower jaw and the outside of the teeth located in the back of the jaw higher), may slow the development of tartar.

If your teeth are sensitive to hot, cold and pressure, you may want to buy a toothpaste for sensitive teeth. But you may need to talk to your dentist about tooth sensitivity because it may indicate a more serious problem a cavity or nerve inflammation (irritation).

Tips for Flossing

Dentists say that the time at least you should stay are brushing your teeth two minutes twice daily. Here we give you some instructions on how to brush your teeth properly:

Hold your toothbrush at a 45 degree angle to your gum. Gently brush where the gums and teeth are joined to the surface of the tooth which is used to chew short (about half a tooth). Brushing too hard can cause gums suffer giving way, sensitive teeth and eventually, loosening of the teeth.
Use the same method to brush the inside and outside surfaces of your teeth.
To clean the surfaces of your teeth that are used for chewing, do it with short strokes, making sure to brush between the grooves, gaps or spaces between each tooth.
To clean the internal surfaces of the top and bottom of the front tempt and gums, toothbrush attached vertically. Applying moves forward and backward, using the front of the toothbrush to brush the teeth and gums.
Using a forward motion, lightly brush your tongue and the top of the inside of your mouth to remove bacteria that live in those places.
While brushing your teeth using a stopwatch (or a kitchen timer that indicates how long the eggs are cooked) or listening to a favorite song to get used to brushing for 2 or 3 minutes straight. Some electric toothbrushes have timers that alert you when two minutes have elapsed.

Facts on Flossing

Brushing is important but does not remove food particles that can lodge between your teeth under your gums or under braces. These spaces you need to brush at least once daily.

The type of floss you choose depends on the size of the space you have between your teeth. Dentists usually recommend the free wax floss because it’s thinner and therefore easier to slide between teeth. However, studies have shown no difference in the effectiveness of dental floss based on the type chosen.

With any floss, you should take care to avoid harm to the gums. You must follow the instructions below:

Carefully enter the floss between two teeth, using a movement forward and backward. Gently place the floss at the base of the gums, but do not try to forcibly entering the floss under the gums. The floss should surround the edge of the tooth, like the letter C, and so must slide from the top to the bottom of each tooth part.
Repeat this process between all teeth and remember to floss in the back of the teeth (which are located at the end of the mouth).

Tooth Whitening Products

Some toothpastes claim to whiten teeth. There is nothing wrong with using whitening toothpastes as long as they contain fluoride and ingredients that fight plaque and tartar. But these toothpastes alone do not contain high amounts of bleaching agents and probably can not see apparent changes in the color of your teeth.

It’s easy to get carried away by advertisements with messages that claim to whiten teeth. But those ads are generally targeted to seniors. The truth is that most teenagers do not need teeth whiteners because being so young yet have yellow teeth, as with the elderly. If you think your teeth are not white enough, talk to your dentist before whitening to try an OTC product. Your dentist may be able to offer a professional treatment according to your specific needs that probably has more impact than a product for sale without a prescription.

Be careful when you buy teeth whitening products that are sold to the public without a prescription. Some bleaching agents may damage your gums and mouth. You should always follow the instructions of whitening products you use.

The connection to nutrition

Eating sugar, as you probably know, is one of the leading causes of tooth decay. But it is not about how much sugar you consume and how we consume -when can be just as important to keep your teeth healthy.

When you eat sugary foods or drink sodas frequently throughout the day, the enamel that protects your teeth is constantly exposed to acidic elements. Hard candies, which are taken to relieve coughs or sore throats, or mints that contain sugar are especially dangerous because they dissolve slowly in your mouth. Many experts suggest that when you eat foods that contain sugar, do it in intervals of three hours.

When you eat foods with sugar or starch as part of a meal, they are less harmful to your teeth than when you eat alone, probably because the production of saliva, which removes sugar and bacteria increases when you eat a meal complete. Eating sugary foods before bedtime is what can make the most damage (especially if you brush your teeth afterward) because you do not produce as much saliva when you sleep.

For most people, it is difficult to completely eliminate sweets, therefore, try to follow the following recommendations are a bit more realistic:

Eat carbohydrates (sugars and starches) as part of a meal.
If you can not brush your teeth after eating, rinse your mouth with water or mouthwash, or chew sugarless gum.
Do not eat sugary foods between meals.
If you snack or eat between meals, try to choose foods that do not contain sugar such as cheese, popcorn, raw vegetables or yogurt.

Visiting the dentist

The main reason to go to the dentist regularly-every six months? Is prevention . The goal is to prevent tooth decay, gum disease and other disorders that put your dental and oral health at risk.

Your first consultation with a dentist will probably consist of three parts: your medical and dental history (where the dentist or dental hygiene manager, dental hygienist will ask you questions about caring for your teeth and record review your dental care) a dental checkup and professional cleaning.

The dentist will examine your teeth, your gums and other important parts of your mouth. He or she can examine your jaw joints. To do this, they used a mirror and a metal tool used to make it easier to check the crown (the visible side) of each tooth. This is done to check the scaling and evidence of looseness in the teeth or cavities. The dentist can also check your bite and the way your teeth fit together (also called occlusion).

Your dentist will examine the general condition of your gums, which should be firm and pink, rather fragile, swollen or inflamed. He or she (or an assistant) uses instruments for checking the depth of your sulcus , the small depression where each tooth is attached to the gum. The slits, called pockets in English, are evidence of gum disease.

After examining the visible parts of your teeth and your mouth, your dentist will take x-ray images can reveal dental caries, abscesses (collections of pus surrounded by inflamed tissue), or impacted wisdom teeth.

Professional cleaning usually takes a dental hygienist, a dental professional specifically trained and licensed. Cleaning involves removing hardened deposits using a “scaler” (an instrument that helps to scrape deposits) or a machine that uses high frequency ultrasound to remove scale deposits. The particles are then rinsed with water.

After cleaning, the dental hygienist will polish your teeth. This cleans and smoothes the surfaces of your teeth by removing stains and preventing tartar from sticking to your teeth. Finally, the hygienist can apply to your teeth a fluorine compound or sealant to help prevent tooth decay.

At the end of your visit, the dentist will let you know if you need to treat a cavity back. Your dentist may also refer you to an orthodontist if he or she thinks you need braces or if you have other needs.

Other dental problems

Tooth decay can attack the teeth at any age. In fact, 84% of those aged 17 years suffering from this condition. When not treated, tooth decay can cause pain and can cause tooth loss. Missing teeth can affect how you look and how you feel about yourself and your ability to chew and speak. Treating cavities can also be expensive, so prevention and early treatment and prevention is important.

It may surprise you to know that 60% of young people aged 15 years suffering from gingivitis , the first stage of gum disease. Gingivitis, which comprises gum excluding ligaments and bone located just below these is usually a result of plaque buildup. As is the case with caries, gingivitis treatment can be expensive. If you remove plaque regularly and follow good oral hygiene habits, your gums back to a healthy state. However the most serious diseases of the gums can cause inflammation of the gums, the redness and bleeding, and sometimes cause pain. Treatment that dentists use for gum disease depends on the magnitude or extent of the disease.