Keeping Your Teeth and Gums Healthy

Keeping your teeth and gums healthy sounds simple: Brush and floss after every meal and see your dentist twice a year. The trouble is, simple as that formula sounds, it's not entirely accurate. Not that dental health is hard; it's easy.

Here's a look at some common misconceptions about dental hygiene.

Belief: You must brush and floss your teeth after every meal to prevent gum disease and cavities.

Reality: Although brushing that often won't hurt, it's not absolutely necessary, says John Novak, B.D.S., professor of periodontics at the University of Kentucky's College of Dentistry. Once a day would be enough if you took the time -- five to 10 minutes -- to thoroughly brush and floss your teeth. But most people don't want to spend that much time. So a good rule of thumb, Dr. Novak says, is to brush for two to three minutes twice a day and floss after each meal. Brushing and flossing before bed, in particular, removes leftover food and debris that enable bacteria to multiply in the humid confines of your mouth at night.

Brushing technique

Belief: Brushing your teeth with an up-and-down or side-to-side motion cleans your teeth most effectively.

Reality: A somewhat circular pattern, known as the Bass Technique, has been shown to remove plaque most effectively, notes Patrick M. Lloyd, D.D.S., dean and professor in the division of prosthodontics at the University of Minnesota's School of Dentistry. This pattern picks up the material and sweeps it out, Dr. Lloyd says. The other methods simply move the material and force it against other surfaces. "It's like dusting," he says. "If you dust side to side or up and down, you just push the dust against the walls or floor. But if you use a circular motion, you dislodge and remove it." You should hold your brush at a 45-degree angle to the gum line to clean your gum and tooth surfaces. "I tell my patients to go from the top right to top left, then bottom left to bottom right," he says.

Belief: You can floss your teeth by simply placing the floss between your teeth and pulling it through.

Reality: Proper flossing consists of placing the floss tightly against the side of each tooth and sliding it up to the top edge and back down under the gum line, says Dr. Novak. You'll miss a lot of plaque if you just slide the floss in and pull it through. Also, there are different kinds of floss -- tape, regular and fine, waxed and unwaxed -- to make it easier to floss between dental work and tight spaces.

Belief: Toothbrushes with angled heads and bi-level bristles are better than those with straight handles and bristles on one level.

Reality: It all depends. "There is no 'one size fits all' when it comes to toothbrushes," says Dr. Lloyd. The best brush for you depends on your dental health history and the problem areas in your mouth. It also depends on the spaces between your teeth, your manual dexterity and even how big your mouth is. Check with your dentist if you have questions about what type of toothbrush to use. In any case use a brush with soft bristles, say the experts.

Dental rinses

Belief: Along with brushing and flossing, you should use a dental rinse to remove plaque.

Reality: Dental rinses that claim to remove extra plaque have not been scientifically proven to do so, says Dr. Lloyd. Those that contain fluoride, however, can help prevent cavities. Fluoride, the only substance proven to prevent tooth decay, strengthens tooth enamel.

Belief: Toothpastes that contain baking soda and hydrogen peroxide can help reduce plaque acids that are the byproducts of plaque bacteria.

Reality: This belief is accurate. Baking soda and hydrogen peroxide combine with saliva to release oxygen, which kills the plaque bacteria, says Dr. Novak. Similarly, there are toothpastes that can help reduce or eliminate stains. He says, however, that these generally work only on stains caused by cigarette smoke, coffee and tea, which are usually confined to the outer surface of teeth. Deeper stains, such as those caused by some medications or medical conditions, require more extensive treatment that only your dentist can provide.

Belief: You should see your dentist twice a year for checkups and cleanings.

Reality: It depends on your dental history. "If you're fundamentally healthy, two times a year is a good starting point," says Dr. Novak. But if you have a history of gum disease, if you smoke or if you have a systemic disease such as diabetes, you should probably see your dentist more often because these can aggravate gum disease. Also, he says, certain medications pose a higher risk of gum disease and cavities, because they reduce the flow of saliva.