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Make sure to replace your toothbrush every 3 months or when the bristles become frayed so that your brushing is actually effective. You need about 18 inches of floss so that every few teeth get a new section of floss. One is simply not complete without the other.įloss 1-2 times a day, making sure to use new floss each time. That is why we also tell patients to floss their teeth every single day. However, there is about 40% of tooth surfaces that brushing simply can’t reach. Brush your teeth in circular motions, back and forth and all over to get every surface of your tooth.īrushing is one of the best ways you can love your teeth each day and one of the best ways to prevent oral health diseases. Make sure you use fluoride toothpaste that can help strengthen and protect your teeth as you brush. Two minutes twice a day to be exact, according to recommendations by the American Dental Association. So yes, your oral health is very important and you want to follow the basics every single day and get your kids to as well.īrushing only takes a few minutes of your day. By adulthood, about 92% of people have had cavities. Unfortunately, 42% of children 11 and under have cavities. Parents will need to do this for small children until about age 3 or 4 when they are able to brush and floss themselves with supervision. Tooth decay can happen as soon as an infant gets their first tooth, which is why brushing starts then. The sad part about these two diseases is that they lead to tooth loss and a poorer quality of life even though they are 100% preventable. Gum disease is a close second, affecting an estimated 64.7 million American adults. The National Institutes of Health reports that tooth decay (cavities) is the most “common, prevalent disease” in both children and adults. Here are a few games and tips that can help make brushing and flossing more fun so that these habits are done more often!
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Children may not know that brushing and flossing is so important to their oral health, or they may struggle with the desire to do these habits. Cavities form when too much sugar is eaten without enough brushing and flossing to remove the sugar that leads to decay.