Every evening before bed the last activity of my day is to take care of my teeth. I brush for two minutes. I floss my teeth. I use a fluoride mouth rinse. Then, I crawl in my bed to rest. I’ll admit that there are days when I am tired and the temptation is great to just crawl between the sheets without doing anything for my teeth. Here are three important facts which keep me motivated to do the right thing on those nights when I just want to go to bed.
Fact #1: Preserving your natural teeth is important to your overall health.
Keeping all of your natural teeth is important for a number of reasons. Most humans have 32 teeth.1 Missing teeth often make a person feel self-conscious. Missing teeth also make it harder to speak and to chew foods, especially some fruits, vegetables, nuts and meats. As part of your digestive system, each tooth category has a unique function in breaking down foods. Incisors help you bite into food; canines help tear foods; pre-molars tear, crush and grind food; and molars play a pivotal role as your main chewing teeth.2 The more of these teeth that are missing, the harder it is to digest food properly. That is why it is important for adults to care for the only set of natural teeth they will ever have.
Fact #2: If you just brush your teeth you only reach 60 percent of the surface you need to clean.
Placque, an accumulation of bacteria, fungi and viruses, doesn’t just sit on the flat or exposed surfaces of your teeth.3 It also dwells in hard to reach places such as between your teeth, on rough areas of a tooth surface such as that surrounding fillings, and where the gum meets a crown. That’s why cleaning between your teeth every day with dental floss or an interdental brush is so important. Using an oral rinse with fluoride is also important to use each day as it coats your entire mouth, including your teeth, gums and tongue. Getting a daily dose of cavity-fighting fluoride is especially important for those who get their drinking water from sources without fluoride added to the water, such as individual wells. The best way to fight tooth decay is to brush your teeth for at least two minutes at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and a soft bristled brush, floss or use an interdental brush every day, and use a fluoride mouth rinse daily.
Fact #3: Periodic dental check-ups and cleanings are also really important.
The American Dental Association does not recommend a specific interval between visits for seeing your dentist. Their recommendation is to “see your dentist regularly.”4 There are many factors that go into how often you should see your dentist and they are as individual as you are. Some include how well you take care of your teeth, how prone you are to cavities and tartar build-up, whether you smoke or drink alcoholic beverages on a regular basis, and whether you have a family history of oral diseases. Your dentist can provide the best advice on how often you should be seen. Research has shown that adults who had regular dental checkups had significantly fewer teeth missing than those whose who saw the dentist only for dental treatments.5
Dental cleanings are also important to maintaining good oral health. Your hygiene appointment is important because during your visit the hygienist will use a special tool, called a scaler, to remove plaque and tartar around your gum line and between your teeth. Once tartar forms, the only way to get rid of it is by having the hygienist scrape it from your teeth. Brushing and flossing don’t work at this point. If the tartar remains on your teeth it can lead to cavities, tooth loss and gum disease. Generally dental health insurance will pay for the cost of a dental check-up and cleaning every six months.
The next time you feel too tired to take care of your teeth, remember these three important facts. They should provide enough motivation for you to take those extra minutes to ensure a healthy mouth, and a health smile, for your lifetime.
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1, 2 Teeth
Link: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/24655-teeth
3 Is Brushing Your Teeth for Two Minutes Enough? Here’s What the Evidence Says, by Josefine Hirschfeld, 10/26/2021
Link: https://theconversation.com/is-brushing-your-teeth-for-two-minutes-enough-heres-what-the-evidence-says-169108
4 Brushing and Beyond: Key Oral Health Tips for Anyone with a Smile
Link: https://www.mouthhealthy.org/oral-health-recommendations
5 Do You Really Need a Dental Check-Up Every Six Months? by Victoria Hamilton, 8/11/2021
Link: https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/features/dental-checkup-every-6-months