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How You Can Protect Your SmileAwake!—2005 | November 8
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Tooth decay is caused by two kinds of bacteria—“mutans streptococci and lactobacilli”—that become a part of plaque, a sticky film of bacteria and food debris that forms on the teeth. Plaque bacteria feed on sugar and convert it into harmful acids that begin decay. Certain types of sugar are more easily turned into acids or are more likely to adhere to the teeth, giving the plaque more time to begin tooth decay.b Plaque that is not removed can harden into calculus, or tartar, around the gum line.
Controlling the plaque and especially the mutans streptococci bacteria is essential for preventing the spread of tooth decay. So if you want to preserve your smile, daily oral hygiene is a must. The Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery states: “Combined with flossing, [brushing the teeth] is the single most important thing that you can do to maintain the health and vitality of your teeth and their supporting tissues.” Effective methods of brushing and flossing are illustrated on this and the following page. Your dentist may recommend other tools and techniques that will help you to clean your teeth effectively and thus protect your smile.
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How You Can Protect Your SmileAwake!—2005 | November 8
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Brushing Your Teeth
There are several methods of brushing but one word of caution—use only a small amount of toothpaste. The paste is an abrasive material and can be “hundreds of times harder than natural tooth structures.”
1 Angle the bristles at approximately 45 degrees at the gum line. Gently brush from the gum line to the chewing surface in short strokes. Be sure to clean all inside and outside tooth surfaces.
2 Use short, sweeping strokes to clean the chewing surfaces.
3 To clean the inside surfaces of the front teeth, hold the brush so that it is almost vertical. Brush from your gum line to the chewing surface of the teeth.
4 Brush your tongue and the roof of your mouth with a sweeping motion.
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Steps 1-4: Courtesy www.OralB.com
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How You Can Protect Your SmileAwake!—2005 | November 8
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[Box/Pictures on page 13]
Flossing Your Teeth
Dentists recommend flossing daily and always brushing your teeth after eating.
1 Wrap a piece of floss around your middle finger on each hand, leaving a small section between them.
2 With the thumb of one hand and the index finger of the other, hold the floss taut. Use a back-and-forth motion to insert the floss between the teeth.
3 Curve the floss into a C shape, and scrape the floss up and down the sides of each tooth. Gently guide the floss below the gum line, but do not force the floss against the gums or use a back-and-forth motion below the gum line.
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Source: The Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery’s Guide to Family Dental Care
Steps 1-3: Courtesy www.OralB.com
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