Five Steps To A Beautiful Smile

1.  Take a little extra time to give your teeth the care they deserve.
Did you know that it takes two to three minutes to adequately brush your teeth but that most people spend less than 30 seconds brushing?  Brushing removes bacteria from our teeth so they can no longer make acid.  It is important, however, to remove bacteria from all tooth surfaces.  This takes two to three minutes.

2.  Do a little flossing.  It just might save your teeth.
You've heard that you need to floss at least once a day. But has anyone ever told you why? It has to do with bacteria again. It likes to hide between teeth to escape the wrath of the toothbrush. Here they continue to feed on food spewing out cavity-causing acid. Worse yet — if allowed to remain for a long time, these bacteria invade and destroy gum tissue as well as the bones and ligament s that support teeth.

3.  It's not just the candy that is dangerous to your teeth.
Bacteria not only use candy to create acid but can also use any food that contains sugars and other carbohydrates. This includes fruits, peanut butter, crackers, potato chips, popcorn and other foods. Especially harmful can be foods like peanut butter and raisins that stick to teeth where they provide a constant source of energy for bacteria. Brush after every meal to remove both the bacteria and left over food particles which bacteria feast on. If you cannot brush after eating, try washing food down with liquids which ensures that less food remains on teeth.

4.  Stop brushing so hard.
Incredibly, nearly two out of three people damage their own teeth by brushing too hard! It takes very little pressure to remove bacteria, food and plaque. Unfortunately, most people apply three to four times the necessary brushing pressure causing damage to teeth and gums.

5.  Reduce your dependency on coffee.
Believe it or not, coffee is one of the most dangerous threats to your smile. Coffee stains teeth, destroying your naturally white smile. Worse yet, because most people sip coffee throughout the day, bacteria are provided with a constant source of sugar from which to produce cavity-causing acid.

Tooth Brushing Simplified

The Brush To Use
Hard bristles were recommended but now thought to be too abrasive to the teeth and gums.  It now is suggested that a soft, rounded-end nylon bristle brush be used.  Be sure to discard brushes when the bristles are bent or frayed or every three to four months.

How To Brush
Begin by placing the head of the brush beside your teeth, with the bristles angled against the gum line (where the teeth and gums meet).  Think of the brush as both a toothbrush and a gum brush.  With the bristles contacting both tooth and gum, move the brush gently in an elliptical motion across each tooth individually.  Use a short stroke and a gentle scrubbing motion, as if the goal were to massage the gum.  Don't try to force the bristles under the gum line; that will happen naturally, especially with a brush that has soft, flexible bristles.

Brush the outer surfaces of the upper and lower teeth.  Then use the same elliptical motion across the inside surfaces.  Try to concentrate harder on the inside surfaces; studies show they're more often neglected.  For the upper and lower front teeth, brush the inside surfaces by using the brush vertically and making several gentle up-and-down strokes over the teeth and gums.  Finish up by lightly scrubbing the chewing surfaces of the upper and lower teeth.  You should also brush your tongue to keep it clean and to ensure fresher breath.