All Press Releases for June 24, 2009
The Importance of Brushing and Flossing Each Day
Even if you dutifully see your general dentist every six months, you're still likely to have problems with your teeth and gums if you don't brush and floss on a daily basis.
PHOENIX, AZ, June 24, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Thorough, regular dental hygiene is vital to maintaining overall oral health. Even if you dutifully see your general dentist every six months, you're still likely to have problems with your teeth and gums if you don't brush and floss on a daily basis.
Our teeth are subjected to a variety of stresses every day, from the stress of chewing to exposure to various acids and other components of foods and beverages that can stain the teeth or even wear down the enamel. In addition, whenever you eat small pieces of food are trapped in the spaces between the teeth. These food fragments attract bacteria, which turn them into highly acidic plaque. If this plaque is allowed to collect, the acid eats through your teeth, causing tooth decay, or cavities.
Brushing your teeth every day, preferably twice a day, is the best way to eliminate plaque and reduce the likelihood of severe tooth decay. Brushing cleans away the left-behind food particles, as well as the bacteria and plaque that collect around them. Brushing also stimulates your gums, keeping them strong and healthy.
Flossing is equally important to your daily dental hygiene routine. While brushing your teeth eliminates a high percentage of plaque and food particles, the brush can't reach efficiently between the teeth or under the edges of the gums to thoroughly clean the entire tooth. Floss accomplishes this, loosening food particles between the teeth in nooks and crannies brushes don't clean. Flossing is even more important to the health of your gums, and is a powerful weapon in the battle against gingivitis.
Proper technique in brushing and flossing is also important. Brushing at the correct speed and angle, and for the right amount of time, improves the effectiveness of your cleaning efforts. Using floss correctly also makes it more efficient, as well as preventing inadvertent damage to the gums.
Regular visits to a general dentist are also important to your overall oral hygiene. You should see your regular dentist every six months for cleaning, as well as any recommended X-rays or other treatments.
If you are in the Mesa, Phoenix, or Scottsdale, Arizona area, please contact Scott LeSueur, D.D.S. and Charles Dodaro, D.D.S. for more information on general dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, and neuromuscular dentistry.
Source: Scott LeSueur, D.D.S. and Charles Dodaro, D.D.S.
Website: http://www.drsofsmiles.com
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