Ten Tips for Excellent Dental Health

1. Brush your teeth at least once a day, more if you can.
   The goal is to remove bacteria and prevent them from multiplying and spreading. They give off acid excretions, and anything acid is destructive to tooth enamel. You don’t need to use toothpaste every time. Use an up-and-down motion and don’t forget to brush the backs of the teeth.
2. Use a soft toothbrush.
   A brush with stiff bristles can be damaging to gum tissue and cause the gums to recede back from the teeth. That can weaken tooth support and start to expose the tooth roots.
3. Floss your teeth daily.
   Brushing cleans the front and back surfaces but not the sides, which are set closely against the neighboring teeth. Use dental floss which slides in and out without breaking (there are several types to choose from, with different widths). Use an up-and-down motion, curving the floss against the tooth on one side, then against the tooth on the other side. Use a fresh area of the floss for each location.
4. Avoid whitening toothpastes.
   Any toothpaste which says "Whitening" on the box contains an abrasive ingredient like baking soda. Far from whitening your teeth, that will gradually yellow them. That’s because abrasive ingredients remove some of the tooth enamel along with any superficial stains. This will allow the dentin layer to show through — the yellow layer below enamel.
5. Brush for at least one minute each time, preferably two minutes.
   You might consider buying a sonic toothbrush, which cleans beyond where the bristles touch. These brushes move at a high speed (over 30,000 brush strokes per minute). This creates movement in the fluids around the teeth, which dislodges plaque between teeth as well as from their exposed surfaces.
6. Get fluoride treatments from your dentist.
   Fluoride strengthens tooth enamel. Check that your toothpaste contains fluoride, and when you go for your annual or twice-a-year check-ups, ask for a fluoride treatment at that time.
7. Protect your teeth.
   Avoid using them to open beer or soda bottles. Break any chewing habit you might have such as chewing on ice or your pen or pencil. Such habits can gradually push teeth out of alignment and damage the enamel.
8. If you have young children, take them to Dr. Coleman at age ten for a check-up.
   They may need some orthodontic work to avoid a lifetime of dental problems. This would be a good age to begin that.
9. Ask Dr. Coleman to put a sealant on your children’s teeth.
   This vastly reduces the chance of tooth decay.
10. Teach your children how to brush and floss their teeth effectively, and why it’s necessary. Start this as soon as they can properly manipulate a toothbrush and dental floss. Before that, you can gently brush their growing teeth each evening.

If you follow these ten tips habitually, your dental health will be greatly improved, and your time and cost spent at any dental offices greatly reduced. At the Coleman Center for Cosmetic Dentistry, we serve San Diego, La Jolla, and Poway. If you would like to schedule a complimentary consultation, please call or email us any time.