Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Dental Tips & Fun Facts

Oral Health Tips


Tooth decay often begins soon after a baby's first teeth appear – clean your baby's gums once a day by using moistened gauze or a washcloth to gently massage the gums.

Baby teeth need care too! Brush your child's teeth gently with a soft toothbrush and a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste when the first tooth appears.

Tired of prying your way in every time it's time to brush the tot's teeth? Why not reverse roles and let your child brush yours? Then you can laugh a lot and show how much fun it is to be pampered.

Make sure the kids see you brushing your own teeth, and then make a point of showing off your shiny, clean teeth. Ham it up and make it seem like a treat and privilege to have a shiny smile. Encourage your kids to show off their own smiles once their teeth are clean.

Carbonated beverages are a significant cause of cavities in teens, so watch what your teens drink and make sure they brush frequently during the day.

Sports related injuries account for about 5 million lost teeth per year. Protect your teeth and your children's teeth with a mouth guard whenever playing sports.

Are your older children stubborn about brushing and flossing? Do repeated reminders fall on deaf ears? Maybe it's time to change the messenger. Call the dental office before the children's next checkup, and let the dentist know what's going on. The same motivational message might be heeded if it comes from a third party.

A small amount of fluoridated toothpaste will help to inhibit decay. Fluoride is also found in mouth rinses, community water supplies, and in some foods.

At age two or three, you can begin to teach your child proper brushing techniques. But remember, you will need to follow up with brushing and gentle flossing until age seven or eight, when the child has the dexterity to do it alone.

Begin scheduling regular oral health appointments starting around your child's first birthday. Your oral health professional will check for cavities in the primary teeth and watch for developmental problems, as well as help to create a positive experience that may alleviate fear at future visits.

Determine if the water supply that serves your home is fluoridated. If there is not fluoride in your water, discuss supplement options with your dental hygienist.

Fluorine, from which fluoride is derived, is the 13th most abundant element and is released into the environment naturally in both water and air.

Fluoride is naturally present in all water. Community water fluoridation is the addition of fluoride to adjust the natural fluoride concentration of a community's water supply.

Fluoridation of drinking water has been used successfully in the United States for more than 50 years.

Fluoridation of community water has been credited with reducing tooth decay by 50% - 60% in the United States since World War II.

Fluoride's main effect occurs after the tooth has erupted above the gum. This topical effect happens when small amounts of fluoride are maintained in the mouth in saliva and dental plaque.

Fluoride works by stopping or even reversing the tooth decay process. It keeps the tooth enamel strong and solid by preventing the loss of (and enhancing the re-attachment of) important minerals from the tooth enamel.

Of the 50 largest cities in the United States, 43 have community water fluoridation. Fluoridation reaches 62% of the population through public water supplies, or more than 144 million people.

Consumption of fluids such as water, soft drinks, and juice accounts for approximately 75 percent of fluoride intake in the United States.

Brushing is the key to good dental health, fighting gum disease, and a healthy, beautiful smile for life. Remember to brush for at least two minutes twice a day, morning and night.

It is best to floss before brushing to remove plaque and loosen debris from the tooth surface.

Visiting the dentist at least twice a year for professional cleanings is imperative for dental health and to maintain your healthy, beautiful smile.

Choose beverages like milk, which helps strengthen teeth and build stronger enamel, to give yourself a healthy, beautiful smile.

Smoking cigarettes is one of the greatest contributors to an unhealthy mouth. Smoking interrupts calcium absorption in the body and can also cause potentially life-threatening diseases such as oral and lung cancers.

Expectant mothers can suffer from pregnancy gingivitis caused by hormonal changes and increased blood flow in the body. Women planning a pregnancy should have their teeth cleaned to remove gingivitis and get a periodontal screening.

Using a mouthwash can reduce plaque that causes gingivitis and kill germs that cause bad breath, leaving your breath feeling fresh and clean.

Avoid sticky sweets that stick to your teeth and cause cavities, such as taffies and soft candies. Don't chew on ice, hard candies or other hard materials that can crack your teeth.

Dental Fun Facts


Did you know that Americans cite bad breath as the least attractive trait a co-worker can have? Be more popular around the water cooler and brush after lunch.

Cap the paste but not the brush. Covering the brush can trap moisture and encourage bacteria growth. Yeah, we know. Gross, huh?

The average women smiles about 62 times a day, while the average man smiles only 8 times. Women are also more likely to brush their teeth and visit the dentist regularly. Think there might be a connection here?

MacGyver claims dental floss works well as a cake cutter, makeshift clothesline, replacement fishing line, picture hangers and much more. Our favorite use for it? Cleaning your teeth.

Dental floss has played a role in many attempted prison breaks, used as everything from a rope to a chainsaw. None have been successful. We suggest flossing with it.

Bottled water doesn’t contain the tooth-decay fighting fluoride, which is added to most municipal water supplies. Ditch the bottle and drink from the tap.

Saliva helps you eat by breaking apart food particles and cleaning your mouth afterwards. The average person produces 10,000 gallons of saliva over their lifetime (no data as to how much winds up as spitballs).

Sports, accidents and fights are the leading cause of tooth loss in people under the age of 35. Play it safe and wear a mouth guard.

Each day, the average person spends 8.5 hours sleeping, 1 hour eating, 7.2 minutes volunteering and only 50 seconds brushing their teeth. Set your alarm 2 minutes earlier and squeeze in some extra brush time. Dentists recommend 2-3 minutes.

Americans spend $100 billion per year on hair care products – and only $2 billion a year on dental care products. What good is great hair without a great smile?

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 problems.

If flossing properly, the average person should use 122 yards of floss per year. Twenty-eight percent of people claim to floss daily, but annual sales data shows only an average of 18 yards of floss are sold per person. We think someone’s fibbing.

Spearmint Sparkle. Peppermint Breeze. Eggshell Shine? The next time your dental hygienist asks you to pick a flavor, consider this – the ancient Romans used a mixture of bones, eggshells and oyster shells and honey to clean their teeth! We recommend you stick with the paste.

Let’s all scrub together now! The average toothbrush has around 2500 bristles grouped into about 40 tufts.

Contrary to popular belief, George Washington’s famous dentures weren’t made from wood. His four pairs of custom chompers were crafted from gold, ivory, lead and a mixture of human, donkey and hippopotamus teeth (take care of yours and you won’t have to think about it!).


These Dental Tips & Fun Facts were taken from Delta Dental.

1 comment:

  1. I am the mom of a 4 years baby and I am worry about the teeth of my baby. In such a small age she face serious teeth problems and heavy pain. I find your blog here and its quite interesting and informative. Thanks to share this. Please the dentist in almaden valley club share some more blog about teeth problems.

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