* One of the big keys to good oral hygiene is
to reduce the amount of time the mouth is exposed to sweets before being
cleaned. Saliva is an important defense mechanism against the harmful
effects of sweets. Therefore it is better to eat sweets at meal times
rather than between meals because saliva production is higher during
full meals than it is during a snack.
* If you can't brush and floss after a mean then
try to get some water to swish around your teeth to help rinse away
food particles which are left behind after meals and will start to produce
harmful bacteria which will cause cavities and bad breath. Swish the
water around in your mouth and slide your tongue over the inside and
outside surfaces of your teeth to help rinse away food particles and
bacteria.
* If you can't get brush or get access to water
to rinse your mouth out with after eating then draw saliva into your
mouth and swish it around and use the tongue to rinse inside and outside
of teeth with it just as if you had water. This gives you some defense
against harmful bacteria which causes cavities and bad breath regardless
of your circumstances whenever you eat or snack.
* Finishing your meal with yellow cheese helps
to neutralize the acids in your mouth especially after the consumption
of sweet foods.
* Sticky foods high in added sugar such as caramel,
bubble gum, taffy, gummy bears, sticky candy, etc. are the worst foods
since they cling to the teeth and are hardest to remove.
* If you are eating hard foods such as french
bread, hard fruit or vegetables, hard candy, etc it is best to break
them up into bite size pieces first.
* Always brush with a soft tooth brush and change
brushes as soon as the edges get frayed.
* If you wrap floss around two fingers it doesn't
strangle your fingers so bad.
* Brushing your tongue helps prevent bad breath.
* In addition to bacteria left in the mouth from
food particles bad breath can come from other sources such as infections
in the sinuses or lungs, diabetes mellitus, kidney failure, metabolism
disorders, and even fasting (the body breaking down fats can produce
an odor) among other things.
* Always brush with a tooth paste which has fluoride
in it--it doesn't have to be a fancy brand just as long as it has fluoride
in it. Being thrifty whatever is cheapest and has fluoride.
* Flossing helps remove the plaque that grows
in between your teeth that tooth brushing can't remove by itself.
* Rinse with fluoride after brushing.
* Keep braces especially clean since they can
trap food particles.
* See the dentist at least twice a year to get
teeth professionally cleaned and checked for cavities or gum problems.
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