10 TIPS FOR OPTIMAL ORAL HEALTH!
These practical suggestions will help motivate you to keep those pearly whites cavity-free!
1. Change your toothbrush every three months. Did you know manual toothbrushes become worn out and are not as effective after three months? Also, be sure to rinse your toothbrush with hot water after every use and change it after you have an episode of flu, cold or other viral infections, otherwise you may risk re-infection.
2. Don’t drink soda. People who tend to drink three or more glasses of soda daily have 62 percent more tooth decay, fillings and tooth loss than those who do not drink it at all. In fact, there was a sudden massive surge of patients with tooth decay the year Coke was launched!
3. Brushing harder isn’t better. Vigorous brushing does more harm than good and can lead to eroded enamel, which never grows back and can cause sensitivity and other oral issues.
4. Be breath-conscious at work. Americans cite bad breath as the least attractive trait a co-worker can have, so be more popular around the water cooler by brushing – and flossing — often.
5. Avoid missing work by visiting the dentist. The next time you want to play hooky, head to the dentist for a cleaning instead. Last year alone, adults missed over 164 million hours of work – and children missed over 51 million hours of school for dental-related issues.
6. Guess what? George Washington’s famous dentures weren’t made from wood. His four pairs of custom teeth were actually crafted from gold, ivory, lead and a mixture of human, donkey and hippopotamus teeth.
7. Take care of your teeth – after all, we only have two sets. On the flip side, sharks have around 40 sets of teeth in their lifetime!
8. When traveling, don’t cap your toothbrush. Capping your toothbrush actually can trap moisture and encourage bacterial growth.
9. Keep your toothbrush away from the toilet. It’s no myth – the airborne particles from the flush can travel up to a distance of six feet, so keep your distance to avoid dangerous bacteria.
10. Wonder what your chompers are made of? Teeth are covered with hard enamel called a crown. Inside the tooth is dentin and the pulp of your tooth. Each tooth is attached to your jaw socket and has blood vessels and nerves, which keeps your teeth alive.