Brushing

         Brushing your teeth:                   



Brushing your teeth is an important part of your dental care routine. For a healthy mouth and smile the ADA recommends you:

**Brush your teeth twice a day with a soft-bristled brush. The size and shape of your brush should fit your mouth allowing you to reach all areas easily.

**Replace your toothbrush every three or four months, or sooner if the bristles are frayed. A worn toothbrush won’t do a good job of cleaning your teeth.

**Make sure to use an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste.


         
   The proper brushing technique is to:

*Place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gums.

*Gently move the brush back and forth in short (tooth-wide) strokes.

*Brush the outer surfaces, the inner surfaces, and the chewing surfaces of the teeth.

*To clean the inside surfaces of the front teeth, tilt the brush vertically and make several up-and-down strokes.

                            Brush your tongue to remove bacteria and keep your breath fresh.

                                                ( Tongue scrapers are also available! )

This article first appeared on mouthhealth.org

Continued from last post -Healthy Habits

      Start Early




  

                Your child’s baby teeth are at risk for decay as soon as they first appear
                                      which is typically around age 6 months.
                                                                         




Tooth decay in infants and toddlers is often referred to as Baby Bottle Tooth Decay.

It most often occurs in the upper front teeth, but other teeth may also be affected. In some cases, infants and toddlers experience decay so severe that their teeth cannot be saved and need to be removed.

The good news is that tooth decay is preventable! Most children have a full set of 20 baby teeth by the time they are 3-years-old. As your child grows, their jaws also grow, making room for their permanent teeth.

this article first appeared on mouthhealthy.org

DDS/DMD

                                                  Sharon Reynolds Lundgren, D.D.S.

If you’re looking to find a dentist you may notice that while most are listed with a “DDS”, some may be listed as “DMD”. They both mean the same thing—your dentist graduated from an accredited dental school. The DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) and DMD (Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry or Doctor of Dental Medicine) are the same degrees.

Dentists who have a DMD or DDS have the same education. It’s up to the universities to determine what degree is awarded, but both degrees use the same curriculum requirements.

Did you know that the level of education and clinical training required to earn a dental degree is on par with those of medical schools?

Generally, three or more years of undergraduate education plus four years of dental school is required to graduate and become a general dentist. Upon completion of their training, dentists must pass both a rigorous national written exam and a state or regional clinical licensing exam in order to practice. In order to keep their licenses, they must meet continuing education requirements for the remainder of their careers so that they may stay up to date on the latest scientific and clinical developments.

Additional post-graduate training is required to become a dental specialist, such as an orthodontist, periodontist or oral and maxillofacial surgeon


This article first appeared on mouthhealthy.org