How can I take care of my teeth at home?

Visiting your dentist every six months is vital in ensuring that your mouth is healthy and you will never have to think about losing a tooth or having one replaced. However, in between visits you ought to be doing everything you can at home to look after your mouth.

The main aim of home dental care is to remove as much plaque as possible from your teeth. This is primarily accomplished by brushing your teeth with a tooth brush. Plaque is a substance which forms on your teeth after you have eaten. Food and drink with a high sugar or starch content lead to the most plaque forming. It attacks the hard, protective substance on your teeth known as enamel and weakens teeth, leaving them open to the formation of cavities.

You should brush your teeth at least twice a day for about three minutes a time. Usually this is done first thing in the morning and last thing at night but you might wish to brush after meals too. Be sure not to brush too hard as this can weaken enamel itself. Tooth brushes are available with soft bristles so if you are inclined towards vigorous brushing then you should seek out a brush which is softer.

But not matter how efficiently you brush, you will be unable to remove plaque from every corner of your mouth and this is where flossing comes in. By pulling dental floss or tape between your teeth, you are making sure that plaque is unable to build up there. This is vital in guarding against gum disease. If you have not flossed before, you might find that, given that they are so sensitive, your gums bleed a little the first few times but this ought to stop after a few days.

Of course you should pursue a healthy, balanced diet too and avoid other activities which can compromise the health of your mouth such as smoking tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption. By doing all of these things you are giving yourself an excellent chance of avoiding tooth loss and having to have a tooth replaced.