Dental health: Teeth and gum care

With proper care, your teeth and gums can stay healthy throughout your life. The healthier your teeth and gums, the less risk you have of tooth decay and gum disease.

How should I care for my teeth and gums?

There are four basic steps to caring for teeth and gums:

1. Brushing
2. Flossing
3. Eating sensibly
4. Visiting the dentist

Tips for brushing

Brush at least twice a day. If you can, brush after every meal. Brushing removes plaque, a film of bacteria that clings to teeth. When bacteria in plaque come into contact with food, they produce acids. These acids lead to cavities. To brush:

• Place a pea-sized dab of fluoride toothpaste on the head of a soft toothbrush.
• Place the toothbrush against the teeth at a 45-degree angle to the gum line.
• Move the brush across the teeth using a small circular motion. Continue with this motion cleaning one tooth at a time. Keep the tips of the bristles against the gum line. Avoid pressing so hard that the bristles lie flat against the teeth and remember that only the tips of the toothbrush do the cleaning. Let the bristles reach into the spaces between teeth.
• Brush across the top of the chewing surfaces of the teeth. Make sure the bristles get into the grooves and crevices.
• Use the same small circular motion to clean the backside of the upper and lower teeth - the side that faces the tongue.
• To clean the inside of the bottom front teeth, angle the head in an up-and-down position towards the bottom inside of the mouth and move the toothbrush in a small circle.
• For the inside of the top front teeth, angle the brush in an up-and-down position with the tip of the head pointing towards the roof of the mouth. Move the toothbrush in a small circle.
• Give your tongue a few gentle brush strokes, brushing from the back of your tongue forwards. Do not scrub. This helps remove bacteria and freshens your breath.
• After brushing your teeth for two to three minutes, rinse your mouth with water.
• Replace your toothbrush every three to four months.

Tips for flossing

Floss once a day. Flossing gets rid of food and plaque between the teeth, where the toothbrush cannot reach. If plaque stays between teeth, it can harden into tartar, which can only be removed by a dentist. To floss:

• Remove about a 45 cm strip of floss from the dispenser.
• Wind the floss around the middle fingers of each hand, leaving a 3 cm section open for flossing. Floss the top teeth first, then the bottom.
• Place the floss in your mouth and use your index fingers to push the floss between the teeth. Be careful not to push too hard and injure the gums.
• Move the floss up and down against the tooth and up and around the gum line. The floss should form a C-shape around the tooth as you floss.
• Floss between each tooth as well as behind the back teeth.
• Use a clean section of floss as needed and take up used floss by winding it around the fingers.