How the American Dental Association describes how to floss correctly:

* Start with about 18 inches of floss. Wrap most of it around the middle finger of one hand, the rest around the other middle finger.

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Often times there are people that will think that food does not get caught between their teeth so flossing is really not needed.  However they would be wrong, because flossing is not so much about removing food bits between teeth as it is about removing dental plaque that forms on tooth surfaces between cleanings. Dental plaque is what causes tooth decay, inflamed gums, periodontal disease, and eventually tooth loss. Flossing is an effective way to remove plaque between teeth.

People who have arthritis can often time have limited hand motion and may find it harder to hold and use a toothbrush. Here are some tips that may help.

* Use an electric or battery-operated toothbrush. An Electric toothbrush will make brushing easier and now they are being made lighter so they are also easier to hold on too.

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Even though many people brush their teeth daily they may not be brushing correctly, thereby not get the full benefit from brushing. Here are the steps to correctly brush your teeth.

* Gently brush your teeth on all sides with a soft-bristle brush and fluoride toothpaste.
* Use small circular motions and short back-and-forth strokes.
* Take the time to brush carefully and gently along the gum line.
* Lightly brush your tongue to help keep your mouth clean.

For the most part it does not take a lot in order to prevent gum disease. Here are a few things you can do that will help prevent gum disease as well as maintain good oral health care.

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Some of the sings and symptoms of dry mouth can include

* Trouble speaking
* Eating or Tasting food
* Swallowing
* Dry mouth may cause chapped lips
* Persistent cough
* White Tongue
* Fungal infection like yeast
* Burning tongue
* Gum disease
* Dental decay

Although diabetes can cause many different health issues one effect that it has on your dental care is dry mouth. One sign of diabetes is often chronic dry mouth, which occurs when blood sugars are high and uncontrolled diabetes. When this occurs, ketones lose fluid or inadequate saliva is produced in order to keep your mouth moist. The end result is severe dehydration and dry mouth as well as difficulty chewing and swallowing food. If you are a diabetic make sure to talk to your dentist about proper dental care in order to maintain your dental health.

 A poor diet along with bad dental hygiene habits can lead to cavities and decay along he gum line. This gradual dental decay will result in reduced saliva production beneath the tongue, and eventually chronic and uncomfortable dry mouth, which will exacerbate tooth and gum rot even further. Make sure to visit your dentist regularly and maintain good dental habits in order to maintain good dental health and avoid dry mouth issues.

When humidity levels are low, dry air can shrink mucous membranes and leave you parched. It is vital to keep your mouth and nose moist so that you are not prone to colds, flues, and allergies. So wisely invest in a humidifier and drink water throughout the day

According to the May Clinic, tooth loss prior to the age of 35 could be linked to Alzheimer’s Disease. P. gingivalis is a microbe found in the gums that has been evident in a number of Alzheimer patients who have died.

One way to help or avoid dry mouth is to drink plenty of water throughout your day. By being dehydrated, can be enough to dry out the mucous membranes in your mouth, decreasing your saliva. If you tend to develop dry mouth with physical activity, it is important to carry a water bottle with you at all times to combat dry mouth and nose.

Prolong dry mouth can start to cause dental issues like bad breath, periodontitis, and dental decay. Certain medications such as chemotherapy drugs to treat cancer are linked to dry mouth. However, the most common culprits as far as drugs are antihistamines and anti-depressants. If your prescriptions are causing dry mouth, talk to your doctor about swapping to another. In addition make sure to see your dentist regularly to prevent dental damage due to dry mouth.

In a prior post it when over the proper way to brush your teeth. However it dose not stop there. Now that you know the proper way to clean your teeth, be sure to floss and use mouthwash daily.  You also want to replace your toothbrush every three to four months.

The five steps to cleaning your teeth, according to Oral-B

1) Starting with the inside and outside surfaces of the teeth, make sure to brush at a 45 degree angle in short, half tooth wide strokes against the gum line.

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Most dentist will advise to brush your teeth at least twice a day, up to two minutes. However many people brush their teeth for a minute or less. On the flip side brushing too long can also damage as well can increase your risk of sore gums and other problems.

In order to brush your teeth correctly you need to use a proper toothbrush.  The size of your toothbrush should correlate to the size of your mouth. Make sure to buy a toothbrush that properly fits into your mouth.

Make sure to drink plenty of water.  Water helps to keep your mouth moist which in turn minimize the amount of bacteria in your mouth that can cause bad breath. Drinking water is also very good for your over all health care.

One good dental heath care tip is to keep an extra toothbrush and paste at work. By keeping a spare toothbrush and paste at work you are able to brush your teeth after having lunch. This is extra helpful if you have eaten food that left a film on your teeth or leaves you with bad breath.

If you travel and want to use your toothbrush make sure to keep int in a plastic toothbrush case. By doing so you will protect the toothbrush bristles from becoming squashed or flattened in your traveling kit. However keep in mind after brushing your teeth to let your toothbrush dry out before putting it back in the case to help reduce the spread of germs.

Make sure to keep your toothbrush fresh by replacing your toothbrush every three to four months. Old toothbrushes are dirty, ineffective and bad for your health. Studies show that after three months of normal wear and tear, toothbrushes are much less effective at removing plaque from teeth and gums compared to new ones. It is also important to note that you should change your toothbrush after having a cold, flu, mouth infection or sore throat. That is because germs can stay on the bristles of the your toothbrush which could lead to reinfection.