We feel that you are your own best advocate in everyday care of your oral health. An excellent website is dentalcare.com.  Our entire team -- particularly Pat and Trina, our hygienists,  offer tips on how you can maintain healthy and esthetically pleasing teeth throughout your life. 

Proper brushing habits

By proper brushing the plaque causing bacteria can be completely removed.

Here are a few simple ways for proper brushing

Properly holding the toothbrush - The toothbrush should be comfortably held at an angle of 45 degree with the gum using a small amount of toothpaste.

Movement of the brush - Brush your teeth by gently moving your toothbrush in small circular motions while covering the outside areas of both the lower and the upper back teeth.

Brushing the chewing surfaces - The biting or the chewing surface of the teeth should be brushed with back and forth brushing motion.

Clean your tongue - Properly brush the upper surface of your tongue to remove any bacteria and freshen your breath.

Prevent tooth decay

Development of tooth decay can be a major problem for individuals of all age groups. In simple terms, tooth decay occurs when most of the tooth's mineral content has been dissolved.

Source of tooth decay

Plaque, a thin sticky film of bacteria is one of the main causes of tooth decay. This bacteria lives on the leftover starch and sugars of the food we eat. The plaque attacks the enamel of the tooth and causes decay. Tooth decay dose not occur overnight, it develops overtime.

How to prevent tooth decay

Proper brushing - The layer of plaque is removed from outside, inside or chewing surfaces of the teeth by proper brushing with a soft-bristle brush. Brushing should be done at least twice a day preferably in the morning and before going to bed with a very small amount of fluoride toothpaste. The tongue and the gum should be brushed to remove bacteria. This freshens your breath. It is recommended by dentists that you change your toothbrush every 3 months for with a new one more plaque is removed than with the older one.

Flossing - Flossing is important because it removes plaque from the gum line where gum problems starts to grow. Flossing is done by wrapping a piece of floss, about eighteen inches, around the middle finger. The remaining floss is wrapped around the middle finger of the other hand. Now gently move the floss so that it reaches every tooth. Be sure and take the floss below your gum since this is an area wear bacteria can hide and cause bone loss. A clean portion of floss should be used for each tooth. At first gums may slightly bleed due to flossing, but they become stronger with regular flossing. If bleeding persists for over two weeks, then a dentists should be consulted.

Nutrition - Our teeth need a proper diet for a better growth and nutrition. Sweets and starchy foods increase the chance of tooth decay. Sodas also can have a negative affect on your teeth. Not only from the sugar but the acidity also can cause tooth decay.

Fluoride - Fluoride is essential for strong and healthy teeth. It prevents tooth decay. This mineral can be found in certain toothpaste, mouth rinses, some foods, etc.

Using a sealant - It is a plastic material which is safe to use and is applied on the chewing surface of the molars and the premolar teeth. Most decay occurs in the small groves in your  teeth called pits and fissures. The primary work of the sealant is to act like a protective layer for these surfaces.