How to Keep Your Teeth Clean - Essay Example

"How to Keep Your Teeth Clean" is a brilliant example of a paper on dental health. 
Often, the teeth are taken advantage of among the different parts of a person’s body. Regular dental check-ups, which include cleaning, are necessary to keep them clean. On the other hand, there are other ways to make and keep the teeth clean.

            Brush teeth regularly. Dentists recommend brushing teeth after every meal. However, because of the constant change happening in everyone else’s lifestyle, brushing every after the meal has become a difficult task. For such instances where brushing three times a day – after breakfast, lunch, and dinner – seem difficult, then twice daily would be enough (Tavormina 2011). Although dental associations do not identify specifically the exact time that people should brush their teeth, doing it after breakfast and before bedtime is still what dentists think appropriate to keep teeth clean and healthy (Kemp 2007).

            Brush away with your favorite rhyme or song. Brushing does not simply require running the bristles of the toothbrush through all areas of the mouth including teeth, gums, and tongue. Results from British research on avoiding plaque associate the length of time a person brushes his or her teeth to getting rid of all the bacteria accumulated in the mouth when eating. Two-minute brushing is found to be the most ideal duration that a person should brush the teeth. Instead of setting a timer in the toilet for brushing, one may opt to hum along with his or her favorite nursery rhyme or rather a favorite song that lasts up to two minutes. Then, brushing the teeth for two minutes may not be considered a daily task (10 Ways to Keep, n.d.).

            Floss the tartar away. When food debris and plaque, in particular, can harden and develop into tartar, which eventually causes gingivitis. To prevent this dental problem from happening, flossing helps. According to the American Dental Association, flossing should be done once daily. Although doing it more than once is fine, the appropriate flossing time and the manner of doing it counts more than the frequency of flossing in a day. ADA finds flossing before brushing the teeth more effectively for it removes the dirt in between teeth, thus making it easier for the fluoride in the toothbrush to reach the hard-to-reach areas of the teeth (American Dental Association, n.d.). Flossing may be done either through the spool or loop method depending on the person’s ability to use his hands. Generally though, forming a ‘C’ shape around the tooth is the most appropriate way while making sure the floss goes below the gum line to clean them thoroughly. It is rather significant to spend about the same length of time one spends brushing when flossing to make sure nothing is left behind (Should I Floss? n.d.).

            Throw that old toothbrush away. Even new toothbrushes that come straight from the supermarket or grocery stores are not as clean as others thought they are. Since the containers and the places where they are kept are not sterilized, they accumulate bacteria that may be transferred to the mouth. While brushing helps clean the teeth, bacteria remain in them and accumulate with continued use. Dental health doctors suggest replacing the toothbrush as often as two to three months would further help keep the teeth clean and healthy. Not only because the bristles would have worn off by then, but it is also safer for the teeth to get a new toothbrush frequently to avoid germ build-up and transfer from the old toothbrush to the teeth (Ramirez 2008; Orenstein 2011; 13 tricks to keep, n.d.).

Keep a clean diet. Just as the body should get rid of unhealthy food such as sodas, cigarettes, and artificially colored juices, the teeth should do the same. By eating healthy food such as fruits and vegetables, the teeth will not be stained by the natural colors these foods possess (13 tricks to keep, n.d.).