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1. Take
a little extra time to give your teeth the care they
deserve.
Did you know that it takes two to
three minutes to adequately brush your teeth but that
most people spend less than 30 seconds brushing?
Why is brushing this long so important?
It
all has to do with bacteria.
Millions of bacteria live, work, and play in
our mouths. They feed on food left on our teeth after
we eat. Acid
is a by-product of this bacterial feasting.
It is this acid which destroys enamel creating
cavities.
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2. Do a
little flossing. It just might save your teeth.
OK,
so you've heard that you need to floss at least once
a day. But
has anyone ever told you why?
It all has to do with bacteria again.
These crafty critters like to hide between your
teeth to escape the wrath of the toothbrush.
Here they continue to feed on food, spewing out
cavity-causing acid. Worst yet, if allowed to remain
undisturbed for a
long time, these bacteria invade and destroy gum tissue
as well as the bones and ligaments which support
teeth. This is what causes gum disease.
Flossing removes these bacteria from between
teeth so they can no longer cause problems.
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 3.
It is not just the candy that is dangerous to your smile.
Did
you know that many foods other than candy promote tooth
decay?
Bacteria
feed on the sugar of candy creating cavity-causing acid. Bacteria, however, not only use candy
to create acid but can also use any food which contains
sugars and other carbohydrates.
This includes such foods as fruits, peanut butter,
crackers, potato chips and popcorn, and drinks such
as Coke or Gatorade.
Especially
harmful are foods like raisins and peanut butter
that stick to teeth where they provide a constant source
of energy for bacteria.
What
can you do to protect yourself?
Well,
brushing after meals helps by removing both the bacteria
and the left over food particles which the bacteria
feast on. If
you can not brush, try washing food down with liquids
ensuring that less food remains on your teeth.
Chewing sugarless gum also helps because this
stimulates saliva flow.
Saliva acts as a natural plaque fighting substance.
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 4.
Stop brushing
so hard
Incredibly, nearly two out of three people damage their own
teeth by brushing too hard!
It takes very little pressure to remove bacteria, food
and plaque. Unfortunately, most people apply three
to four times the necessary brushing pressure causing damage
to teeth and gums. This
damage includes: receeding gums, generalized
sensitivity, notched teeth,
and root cavities.
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 5.
Reduce your dependency on coffee.
Believe it or not,
coffee is one of the most dangerous threats to your smile. Coffee stains teeth destroying your naturally white smile. Worst
yet, because most people sip coffee throughout the day, bacteria
are provided with a constant source of sugar from which it
produces cavity-causing acid.
If
that wasn't bad enough, coffee can cause small fractures in
teeth called crazes. These occur when the teeth are forced
to expand and contract as a result of being exposed to hot
foods or liquids. These hot and cold cycles occur when we
drink hot coffee. Over
a prolonged period of time, this can create crazes in the
teeth.
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