Proper Brushing will keep you smiling fit

Proper Brushing will keep you smiling fit

Until the killer toothache I strikes, most people tend to ignore their teeth. Yet I with a little daily care, you can avoid those (painful and expensive!) visits to the dentist.

Brush them right

- Use a soft toothbrush with rounded bristles. Avoid using a hard brush
- It rubs off enamel and damages gums.
- Change the toothbrush position to clean each tooth.
- Replace your toothbrush every 3-4 months, when bristles begin to spread. Thousands of microbes grow on toothbrush bristles and handle - so keep them clean.
- A thorough brushing should take at least five minutes.
- Night brushing is a must. The rate of saliva flow is reduced during sleep
- It does not wash away food particles trapped in between teeth. The result-anti bacteria produce acid that has 6 hours of uninterrupted time to break down the tooth structure. So don’t get careless about night brushing.
- Use fluoridated toothpaste - fluoride has been proven to be the single best anti-cavity agent.
- Floss your teeth
- Interdentally plaque control is a must. Use dental floss - a soft thread of floss silk or similar material. You must floss between your teeth every day before brushing, so that the surfaces between the teeth are de-plaque and fluoride can enter these areas.

Water your mouth
Oral irrigation devices such as water picks help get rid of bacterial plaque attached to the teeth. Mouth rinses such as saline solutions or solutions of bicarbonate of soda too are effective. Rinse after every meal — and particularly after sweet snacks.

Guard your gums
When the gums turn spongy and loose, a pocket forms between teeth and gums, where food particles lodge and decay. To push out the debris and prevent your gums from bleeding, massage your gums daily - in an upward direction for your lower jaw and in a downward direction for your upper jaw. Regular massage will ensure stronger and firmer gum.