Brushing your teeth regularly is one of the most important steps you can take to maintain good oral health. By removing plaque and bacteria from your teeth and gums, you can help prevent cavities, gum disease, and other oral health problems. Let’s explore why you should brush your teeth and then explain how you can make it a regular habit.

Preventing Cavities: One of the most important reasons to brush your teeth regularly is to prevent cavities. Cavities occur when bacteria in your mouth produce acid that eats away at your tooth enamel, causing holes to form. By brushing your teeth at least twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, you can help remove the bacteria that cause cavities, and protect your teeth from decay.

Preventing Gum Disease: In addition to preventing cavities, brushing your teeth regularly can also help prevent gum disease. Gum disease is a condition that occurs when bacteria in your mouth infect your gums, causing inflammation and bleeding. If left untreated, gum disease can lead to tooth loss and other serious health problems. By brushing your teeth twice a day (and flossing at least once a day, but that’s a whole separate article), you can remove the plaque and bacteria that cause gum disease, and keep your gums healthy.

Freshening Your Breath: Brushing your teeth regularly can also help freshen your breath. Bad breath is often caused by bacteria in your mouth that produce odors. By brushing your teeth and tongue (yes your tongue!), you can remove the bacteria that cause bad breath, and keep your mouth smelling fresh.

Improving Your Overall Health: In addition to improving your oral health, did you know that brushing your teeth regularly can also improve your overall health? It’s true. Poor oral health has been linked to a number of health problems including heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory infections. Taking care of your teeth and gums can help reduce your risk of potentially life-threatening illnesses.

It’s great to learn how important it is to brush your teeth regularly, but it’s more important to make it into a habit and part of your daily routine. Here are some tips for turning what some people consider a chore into a breath-saving, mouth-saving, and life-saving habit:

• Brush for Two Minutes. The American Dental Association recommends brushing your teeth for two minutes, twice a day. To make sure you're brushing for long enough, set a timer or use an electric toothbrush with a built-in timer.

• Use the Right Technique. To brush your teeth effectively, hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to your gums, and use short back-and-forth strokes. Brush the outside, inside, and chewing surfaces of each tooth, as well as your tongue and the roof of your mouth. 

• Choose the Right Toothbrush. When choosing a toothbrush, look for one with soft bristles that can reach all areas of your mouth. Electric toothbrushes can also be effective, as they can remove more plaque than manual toothbrushes.

• Use Fluoride Toothpaste. Fluoride is a mineral that can help strengthen your tooth enamel and prevent cavities. When choosing a toothpaste, look for one that contains fluoride.

• Floss Daily. Did you know that flossing is just as important as brushing? It is! Flossing can remove plaque and food particles from between your teeth and gums. Make sure to floss at least once a day, and use a gentle, back-and-forth motion.

• Visit Us Regularly. We miss you! Coming in for regular checkups and cleanings can give us the time to identify any potential health problems before they get worse. We treat an issue before it becomes an ISSUE, and that’s good for everyone!

In conclusion, we all know that brushing your teeth is important, but did you know exactly how important? The more informed you are as a patient, the happier you’ll be when you come in for a cleaning and don’t have any cavities or worse. And the happier you are, the happier we are. See how that works? So brush your teeth regularly, floss, and schedule your cleaning today!