Take care of your teeth! They are the only ones you will have. The better you care for them, the healthier you will be. That is, poor dental health is a path to poor health in general. In Florida, Fort Lauderdale general dentistry is available to ensure your oral health. But general dentistry is not the whole story. If your teeth are healthy, you can then be concerned about the general look and beauty of your smile. In this case, you will be interested in Fort Lauderdale cosmetic dentistry. A cosmetic dentist has many tools to improve the look of your smile.

But the first thing you need to think about is your home care program. Just a good tooth-brushing morning and evening isn’t enough to keep your mouth healthy and your teeth in their sockets. This home care program must involve both the teeth and the gums. Unhealthy teeth have cavities, and unhealthy gums recede and bleed. Pockets form in the gums that hold bacteria that can cause bad breath and can even contribute to heart disease. And, after you start your care program, you need to follow it faithfully. No shirking of duties. The first fact of tooth care is that the healthy mouth doesn’t bleed. If you see any sign of pink in your sink when you brush your teeth, your gums aren’t completely healthy. This is also true of pain. Healthy teeth don’t cause pain.

So what is the best way to take care of our teeth? Of course, brushing is the first order of business. The only implements needed for this step are a good toothbrush and a good toothpaste. A manual toothbrush is perfectly acceptable, as long as you buy a new one every few months. These days, multipurpose toothpastes can be purchased from a number of different companies. These toothpastes have ingredients that fight cavities, decrease gingivitis (gum disease), whiten teeth, and freshen the breath. While a manual toothbrush is just fine, you may want to use an electric one. Electric toothbrushes do the same work as a manual brush, only faster and more efficiently.

For gum care, the simplest and cheapest tool is dental floss. The cause of gum disease is the oral bacteria. But it’s more than just the bacteria. It’s that the bacteria form colonies, and it’s these colonies that cause the damage. Flossing works by breaking up these colonies so that the bacteria becomes less harmful and can be rinsed down the drain. An even more effective tool is the dental water jet device. These devices squirt pulses of high-pressure water along the gumline to break up and rinse away the bacteria colonies.

After the teeth and gums have been thoroughly cleaned, the final step is a good rinse with a germ-killing mouthwash. Several brands are available, and all are equally effective at killing any bacteria that weren’t washed away.

If you care for your teeth as described above every day, your teeth and gums will be as healthy as you can make them. However, one more step is needed. You should visit the dentist twice a year for a professional cleaning and examination. Many people dread the visit, but if you care for your teeth between visits and go twice a year, the teeth cleaning can be a pleasure.