Plaque that is not removed by brushing and cleaning between your teeth can eventually harden into a rough substance called tartar (or calculus). Tartar collects along your gum line and can lead to gum disease. Once tartar forms, only your dentist or dental hygienist can remove it.
The most important thing about cleaning between your teeth is to do it. As long as you do a thorough job, it doesn’t matter when. Pick a time of day when you can devote an extra couple of minutes to your dental care. People who are too tired at the end of the day may benefit from cleaning between their teeth first thing in the morning or after lunch. Others might like to go to bed with a clean mouth.
And don’t forget, children need to clean between their teeth too! Start as soon as your child has two teeth that touch. Because cleaning between teeth demands more manual dexterity than very young children have, children are not usually able to do a thorough job on their own until age 10 or 11.
Keep in mind that cleaning between your teeth should not be painful. If you do it too hard, you could damage the tissue between your teeth. If you’re too gentle, you might not be getting the food out. It’s normal to feel some discomfort when you first start, but don’t give up. With daily brushing and cleaning between your teeth, that discomfort should ease within a week or two. If your pain persists, talk to your dentist.
If you, your family or friends need dental care, we would be honored to provide you with state-of-the-art dental care in our modern dental practice. Refer someone you love to someone you trust!
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39 Milford Drive, Hudson, Ohio 44236. 330-650-0360. www.drshooverandyanda.com
Cleaning between your teeth may help prevent cavities and gum disease. Cleaning between your teeth helps remove a sticky film called plaque. Plaque contains bacteria that feed on leftover food or sugar in your mouth. When that happens, it releases an acid that can eat away at the outer shell of your teeth and cause cavities.
When You’re Working Out
When You Need Something to Drink
Fruits and vegetables: These should cover half your plate at meals. They are high in water and fiber, which balance the sugars they contain and help to clean your teeth. These foods also help stimulate saliva production, which washes harmful acids and food particles away from teeth and helps neutralize acid, protecting teeth from cavities.
Findings of the analysis, based on a review of medical and dental exam records of more than 3,600 people with high blood pressure, reveal that those with healthier gums have lower blood pressure and responded better to blood pressure-lowering medications, compared with individuals who have gum disease. People with periodontal disease were 20 percent less likely to reach healthy blood pressure ranges, compared with patients in good oral health.
of mouthguards: the “boil and bite” type and the custom-made type. The “boil and bite” mouthguard is fitted by the athlete him or herself by dipping it into boiling water for a couple of minutes, and then forming it to the teeth while it is soft and moldable. This is the less costly type, can be re-molded by reboiling it if need be and for many people it works fine. Some people require a more precise fit than a “boil and bite” mouthguard can provide. For them, their dentist can make a custom-made mouthguard. The dentist makes impressions of the teeth and a laboratory-processed mouthguard is then fabricated. It fits much more comfortably because of the custom-fit. 