Clean teeth and fresh breath can help you put your best face forward every day. And you’ve likely already built some of these healthy oral-care habits into your daily routine.
Begin with brushing.
What you’ve heard all your life is true — for good mouth care, the American Dental Association recommends brushing your teeth twice a day. Brushing helps remove plaque — bacteria on the tooth surface that target tooth enamel and can cause tooth decay if left alone. Eventually, plaque can harden into a tartar buildup on your teeth. Plaque can also damage your gums and lead to gum disease.
To best clean your teeth:
- According to the ADA, for proper tooth care you should angle your toothbrush 45 degrees away from your gums and use short back-and-forth strokes to gently scrub each tooth. Be sure to brush inside, outside, and on top of the teeth. Don’t forget your tongue — bacteria can linger there, leading to bad breath.
- Look for the ADA seal on your toothpaste. The seal shows you that the toothpaste will help stave off tooth decay and gum disease.
- Replace your toothbrush every three to four months, or sooner if the bristles are splaying.
Clean in between
Dental floss can get to the tiny food particles and plaque between teeth, where your bristles don’t reach. Start with a piece of floss about two feet long, and wrap a bit around the middle finger of each hand, leaving three inches or so free between your hands for flossing. Gently pull the floss between your teeth, scraping the surface on both sides. Don’t pull the floss forcefully into the gums or you’ll risk injuring them. When you’ve finished between two teeth, move to a new section of floss and clean between the next two teeth. Repeat, and don’t forget the back sides of your back teeth — it’s hard to reach there with your brush.
Reach for the rinse
Antimicrobial rinses can further reduce bacteria in your mouth and can help fight gum disease too. Fluoride rinses also help with mouth care, working against tooth decay.
Watch what you eat.
A healthy diet isn’t just good for your waistline, it’s a tooth-care tool as well. Eating nutritious foods helps keep your teeth strong. And keeping snacks to a minimum helps limit the amount of time that food lingers on teeth surfaces. When you do snack, choose tooth-friendly foods such as fresh fruits and veggies, cheese, or plain yogurt.
Visit your dentist or dental hygienist regularly
For most people, that means every six months. He or she can watch for tooth-care trouble spots and treat them before they get serious.
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