Healthy Teeth & Mouth
Your mouth is a complex system that you rely on for many different things during the day. From talking clearly to enjoying a meal, most mouths get a workout. During the course of a day, bacteria build up in your mouth. Oral health is taking care of your mouth and teeth, and starts with keeping the bacteria and plaque down in your mouth. Skipping good oral hygiene can let the bacteria grow, causing inflammation and allowing the bacteria to enter your bloodstream. Disease can enter your body this way.
It's recommended that you brush twice a day and don't skip flossing daily. Flossing can clean between the teeth where you will miss with brushing alone. Mouthwashes may also help.
Recently Answered
- Q What are some of the best foods to eat for healthy gums?
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What you eat and drink, and how often you eat and drink, can affect your teeth and gums. Almost all foods, including milk or vegetables, have some type of sugar, which can contribute to tooth decay. To help control the amount of sugar you... Full Answer
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- Q Can eating certain foods cause dental emergencies?
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Certain foods can cause dental problems. Foods that are extremely hard and sticky could stick to the teeth and pull out a crown, bridge or filling. Other foods can get stuck between the teeth and cause pain. It is important to practice good oral hygiene,... Full Answer
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- Q What can I do to maintain good oral health?
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Oral health touches every aspect of our lives but is often taken for granted. Your mouth is a window into the health of your body. It can show signs of nutritional deficiencies or general infection. Systemic diseases, those that affect... Full Answer
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- Q Why do I have gums?
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Your gums are very important because they hold your teeth in place. When gums are healthy, the gum tissue fits like a cuff around each tooth. When someone has periodontal (gum) disease, the tissue pulls away from the tooth. As the disease... Full Answer
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- Q Can smoking irritate your gums?
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You know smoking is bad for your health, so it should be no surprise that cigarettes and chewing tobacco are also harmful to your oral health, including your gums. Other possible oral health impacts of smoking and all tobacco products include:... Full Answer
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- Q What color should my gums be?
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Healthy gums are usually pink in color. In the early stage of periodontal (gum) disease, called gingivitis, the gums can become red, swollen and bleed easily. At this stage, the disease is still reversible and can usually be eliminated by daily brushing... Full Answer
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- Q How often must I floss my teeth?
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For good oral hygiene, you should floss once daily. Tooth decay–causing bacteria still linger between teeth where toothbrush bristles can’t reach. This helps remove the sticky film on teeth called plaque and food particles from between the... Full Answer
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- Q What is a perfectly proportioned mouth?
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, CardiologyPlastic surgeons have pored over thousands of pictures of beautiful men and women to come up with the perfectly proportioned mouth (tough work, but someone's got to do it), and this is what they've found. Rulers ready? The width of the mouth... Full Answer
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- Q What makes the human mouth so good at eating?
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Dr. Michael Roizen, Internal MedicineAlthough opera singers, politicians, and courtside fans are mostly known for what comes out of their mouths, what makes our mouths so special is how we handle what goes in them. For starters, consider your mouth to be just like the guy who buckles you... Full Answer
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- Q Why are healthy, white teeth so important for our image?
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Everyone wants a bright, healthy smile but oral health goes deeper than that. Oral health touches every aspect of our lives but is often taken for granted. Your mouth is a window into the health of your body. It can show signs of nutritional... Full Answer
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