Brushing Right Can Save Your Life

The Bad News

Although most people are aware of the necessity of proper daily tooth brushing and flossing, few people realize that clean teeth and healthy gums can protect against a wide variety of serious health problems! When you don't brush and floss effectively or frequently enough, your mouth's normal population of bacteria multiplies on your teeth and gums, depositing a sticky 'plaque' substance. These colonies of germs then cause a series of destructive changes that damage your teeth, gums and jawbone. In addition to getting cavities, gum disease, pain and infection, the bacterial invasion enters your blood stream and increases your risk for a whole host of systemic problems like heart disease, stroke, respiratory illness, diabetes complications, and pregnancy complications.

The Good News

But it's not all bad news. After all, it's your mouth. You can control your oral health by simply establishing a solid habit of brushing twice daily with a soft toothbrush using the proper technique and a quality fluoride toothpaste, as well as flossing carefully twice daily. These days there are a host of advanced toothpastes, rinses and electric toothbrushes that can help you do a much more thorough job than was possible in the past. The most effective thing you can do is to call the office for an evaluation of your condition and get some advice as to which of the many new products would benefit you most. If we don’t have them here in the office for you we can help you obtain them.

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