Dental Health

Today, I am off to the dentist for a cleaning and six month checkup. Poor dental hygiene can lead to gum disease, tooth loss or even heart attack. Let's take a moment to review good dental practices.

You should brush your teeth with a fluoride toothpaste at least 3 times a day, after each meal. Make sure to brush well behind your back teeth. Floss your teeth at least once a day. Rub the floss between each tooth up and down and just under the gum line. After flossing, rinse with a antiseptic mouthwash.

Every six months, visit your dentist for an oral exam and a professional cleaning. Your doctor will probably recommend that you have X-rays taken at least once a year to check for decay that cannot be detected visually.

Dull, discolored or yellow teeth can make you look older than the story the calendar tells. Daily consumption of red wine, coffee and sodas can stain your pearly whites. Keep your teeth gleaming with bleaching. Laser bleaching in the dentist's office is one option that is quick and easy. You can also have the dentist make trays for your top and bottom teeth. A bleaching agent in syringes can be put into the trays to accomplish the same thing at home. Like grandma used to say, "you only have one set of teeth...take care of them!"