Thursday, July 06, 2006

Correct technique of brushing your teeth

I went through many sites, this seems to explain it in reasonable detail:
Healthy teeth

Most of us aren't taught the proper way of brushing our teeth in childhood, and this can lead to many probles in adulthood. Also, when using a mouthwash, make sure you hold it in for @ least 30 seconds (1 minute is ideal) and swing the liquid around in your mouth with force.

As simple as this may sound, you can learn the correct technique of brushing your teeth from your dentist!

Dos and Don'ts

  1. Try to cut down on starchy, refined, excessively sweet and sticky carbohydrates like -- chocolate, pastries, jams, and most fast food items like pizzas and burgers.
  2. Immediate changes of hot and cold food or beverages expose the nerves to extreme temperatures, which does not give enough time to the nerves to adjust to the new temperature. This should be avoided, as it can be harmful to the teeth and gums.
  3. Aerated beverages-colas are a strict no-no!
  4. Needless to say smoking is extremely harmful for the mouth. It forms a nicotine stain on the teeth, which in turn damages the lining in the mouth and one starts getting patches in the insides of the cheek or mouth.
  5. Never use tooth picks. It is not a good habit, because they dig into the gums, which in turn results in more food particles being stuck, thereby causing more damage to the teeth.
  6. Maintain the usual personal dental hygiene and care as mentioned above.
  7. Eat fruits and fibrous foods-like apple, cucumbers and carrots. Add some of these fruits or vegetables into your salad. These mechanically clean up the biting surface of your teeth.
  8. Chew on sugar-free gum. When you chew on sugar-free gum, there is an increase in saliva in the mouth. As a result, the acidic content in the saliva is reduced, which in turn does a mechanical cleaning of your teeth.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

How is 3 AM Kit Kat for your teeth?

Humairah Irfan said...

not bad, if you brush your teeth and floss right after! :P

Anonymous said...

Yea, like that happens EVER!