The Daily Intake

Every day you eat and drink quite a variety of food and beverages. Whether you're munching on nuts and drinking sparkling water, or downing twinkies and tasty Starbucks® drinks, your teeth are taking a beating, and need daily attention - and that is what these Brooklyn dental tips are for.

The ADA explains that bacteria can make gums swollen and cause problems even down to affecting the bone near the tooth. Brushing, flossing and using Listerine® daily removes plaque and bacteria, and makes a substantial difference in the health of your gums.

Daily Brushing

The ADA recommends brushing with a fluoride toothpaste twice a day to keep plaque off the surface of your teeth before it turns to tartar. Though the ADA recommendations are of course great, we recommend brushing three times daily whenever possible. Keep a toothbrush at the office or in the car while you're out each day, and work another brushing into your schedule.

Use a soft bristled toothbrush to avoid agitating gums. In fact, some people who use hard bristled brushes eventually need skin grafts for their gums. Brushing is just to keep plaque off your teeth. Plaque begins as a soft film, and a soft bristled brush is plenty.

Flossing & Listerine®

Brushing cannot get in the in-between areas, and you do not want plaque to build and turn into tartar, leading to cavities. Daily flossing is a critical component to your daily care disciplines.

Additionally, Listerine® Antiseptic mouthwash is a powerful way to help keep plaque tame long after you brush. Using Listerine twice a day will greatly improve the health of your mouth. At one point a few years ago, Listerine even marketed that using their product made flossing not a requirement. That quickly disappeared, but probably not because it was false. The ADA was probably all over them in for that claim. Regardless, do not underestimate the power of adding Listerine mouthwash to your daily practice.

Summary on Brooklyn Dental Tips...

For brushing we highly recommend an electric toothbrush from Oral-B® with soft bristles. They have programmed 30 second cycles to help you spend the right amount of time in each area of your mouth. The high speed brush rotation is excellent at removing plaque and bacteria.

Daily dental care helps your teeth stay nice and bright, but periodic professional cleaning takes your teeth to the next level. Additionally, our hygienists are experts at noticing any signs of tooth decay and helping you take care of possible problems before more damage happens.

Adapting to the daily discipline of proper dental care is not only keeping your mouth pain free and your smile bright now, but it is helping insure you have a healthy mouth into old age. Daily care for your teeth is really the best insurance you can have - and it's free!