Oral Hygiene Facts

Change the toothbrush for every 3 months: The American Dental Association (ADA) has recommended people to change the toothbrush at least every 3 months.

Use a fluoride toothpaste: Toothpaste that contains fluoride is very good for the teeth, as it helps to fight against the bacteria causing various diseases. It also gives a refreshing breath.

Use proper brushing technique: Overactive brushing can harm your teeth. One can consult your dentist to know the proper technique of brushing to clean the teeth.
Flossing: Flossing also helps to eliminate bacteria. So it very good to floss after every meals.

Healthy diet: One should have a healthy food which includes nuts, carrots and celery sticks. These are know as “Palace of Cleaning”, as they clean the tooth root. A sprig of parsley will also helps to prevent bad breath.

Other facts :

---The decline in tooth decay was greatest among kids but holds across every age group.
---Only 40% of young people age 6 to 19 had ever in their lives had cavities. That’s down from 50% a decade ago.
---Over the last ten years the proportion of people age 60 who’d lost all their teeth had decreased from 33% to 25%.
---Use of dental sealants, which block tooth decay on the chewing surfaces of kids’ vulnerable molars, was up 64%. 30% of kids had had at least one sealed tooth.
---Adults with post-high-school degrees had an average of three more teeth than those without a high school diploma.
---Smokers remain three times more likely than non-smokers to lose all their teeth. This figure has not changed from a decade ago.
---Socio-economic status plays a definite role in one’s general and dental health....33% of low-income adults have untreated decay. This compared with 16% of middle- and higher-income adults. 19% of kids living in poverty have untreated decay compared with 8% of wealthier kids. CDC & ADA 1/06

Recent clinical studies shows corelation between poor oral hygiene and serious systemic diseases:


Cardiovascular disease (heart attack and stroke)
Bacterial pneumonia
Low birth weight/extreme high birth weight
Diabetes complications
Osteoporosis