Dentistry For All
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FAQ's
FAQ: Prevention
Brushing
How long should you brush your teeth?
What type of toothbrush should you use?
How often should you change your toothbrush?Flossing
How often should you floss?
When is the best time of day to floss?
What is the best type of floss to start with?Nutrition
What is important for good dental nutrition?
What are good dental snacks?Gum Disease (Periodontics)
What is gum disease?
What are the signs of gum disease?
How can gum disease be prevented?
Brushing
How long should you brush your teeth? Take the time to carefully and gently clean each tooth, ideally twice a day. The average person brushes for less than 35 seconds. A good brushing takes two to three minutes. Quick tip: Keep brushing for as long as a song.
What type of toothbrush should you use? Use a soft toothbrush which is less likely to damage your teeth and gums. Choose a size and shape that enables you to easily reach every tooth.
How often should you change your toothbrush? It is recommended that you change your toothbrush every three months; more often if you have been ill. Quick tip: New season - New toothbrush.
Flossing
How often should you floss? You should floss at least once a day to clean between the teeth and under the gumline where a toothbrush cannot reach and where most cavities and gum disease start. If you are not flossing, you are missing 35% of every tooth.
When is the best time of day to floss? For the maximum benefit of dental floss, floss every night before you brush.
What is the best type of floss to start with? Beginners should start with unwaxed shred-resistant floss because it slides between the teeth more easily.
Nutrition
What is important for good dental nutrition? Strong teeth need a variety of foods from each of the basic food groups including whole grain breads and cereals, fruits and vegetables, lean meats or alternatives, and dairy products. A balanced diet should provide the essential vitamins and minerals, needed for teeth and gums to stay healthy and strong, namely calcium, phosphorous, and vitamins A, C and D.
What are good dental snacks? While everybody knows that eating sweets are bad for teeth, what you may not know is that the amount of sweet food you eat is not as important as the length of time teeth are exposed to sweets. This means avoid eating sticky sweets like toffee, or hard candies like mints, because they stay in your mouth longer. It also means that eating sweet snacks between meals is much worse than with a meal, because at mealtime the increased flow of saliva helps protect your teeth by washing sugars away. Chose something without sugar - nuts and seeds, peanut butter, cheese, plain yogurt, or popcorn for your between-meal snacks and save the sweets for mealtimes.
Gum Disease (Periodontics)
What is gum disease? Periodontal or gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. Why? Because it occurs at an age when cavities are usually a thing of the past, and the initial symptoms often go unnoticed.
What are the signs of gum disease? Watch for: gums that bleed when brushing; red, swollen or tender gums; and/or persistent bad breath.
How can gum disease be prevented? Periodontal or gum disease can be prevented by brushing twice a day, flossing daily, eating a balanced diet, and visiting your dentist regularly - ideally every six months - for a preventive checkup and professional cleaning.