Prevention ultimately preserves the health of your teeth, reducing your risk of developing serious oral health problems that could result in the loss of your teeth. Prevention, then, reduces your risk of all associated consequences of losing your teeth, such as bone loss, shifting teeth, changes in your facial structure, and change to your bite. ‍ Prevention is much better than the cure, and a lot cheaper, too. Once you develop tooth decay, leaving it untreated will result in a tooth infection and damage to your dental pulp. If you’re lucky, you can get away with a root canal, which requires multiple appointments and can cost upwards of $1000. Sometimes the tooth cannot be salvaged and would need to be extracted. ‍ You need to replace missing teeth to prevent long-term issues such as difficulty chewing, speaking, and facial sagging. Factoring in the cost of a tooth replacement makes extraction much more expensive than taking care of your teeth in the first place.

You should brush your teeth at least two times a day for two minutes at a time. Begin by holding your brush at a 45-degree angle relative to your teeth and gums. Clean the front, back, and chewing surfaces of each tooth using small, circular strokes, spending about 30 seconds on each quadrant of your mouth. Make sure your toothpaste has fluoride, and is ADA-approved, and remember to replace your toothbrush or electric toothbrush head every 3-4 months.

Begin by gathering around 24 inches of dental floss. Wrap most of it around one index or middle finger, and wind the remaining few inches around the index finger of your other hand. Holding about a 1-inch section, keep it taught between your fingers and thumbs as you gently glide the floss between your teeth. Use a gentle rocking motion instead of trying to force the floss down, as it can slip and that force can damage your gums. When the floss is between your teeth, take it into the gum line following the c-shaped curve of the tooth to dislodge plaque and bacteria. Keep repeating this process for both sides of every tooth, keeping sure to wind a new 1-inch section each time to help prevent the spread of bacteria.

There are different kinds of X-rays – some are taken routinely and others are taken to look for a presented problem. Nowadays, we take routine X-rays about once every 3 years. This helps us paint a full picture of your oral health because it reveals what’s going on inside of the teeth, gums, and jaw. We can detect tooth infections, bone loss, gum disease, and impacted wisdom teeth. If you are experiencing symptoms of an oral health problem or from an injury, we may take X-rays to rule out the possibility of tooth decay, gum disease, or an infection.

When it comes to brushing your teeth, the best type of toothbrush is one that you use regularly and properly. Brushing for the recommended 2 minutes twice a day is the most important factor in removing food particles and plaque. ‍ However, there are a few guidelines to keep in mind. You should avoid hard bristles and only use soft-bristled toothbrushes. Hard-bristles are too abrasive and can cause damage to your enamel and gums. A small head toothbrush is also more effective at getting into hard-to-reach areas of the mouth such as the rear molars. ‍ When it comes to choosing between manual and electric, this is up to personal preference. As long as you brush properly at a 45-degree angle to remove plaque from around the gum line and for the recommended amount of time, manual toothbrushes can be just as useful. However, electric toothbrushes make complying with brushing easier and less of a chore, since it does all the work for you. Rotating and oscillating electric toothbrushes are also more effective at removing plaque.