Important tips
- Good oral hygiene is the key to reducing the amount of plaque on your teeth and therefore reducing acid attack when you eat sugar.
- Reduce the frequency sugar contacts your teeth throughout the day.
- Make sure you rinse your mouth with water after you have consumed food or drink that contains sugar.
Important fact
Bacteria found in plaque feed on the sugars in the food we eat. When bacteria eat the sugar from your food they make acid. Dental decay is caused by these acids damaging the tooth surface. The more often you consume sugar, the more frequently your teeth will be under attack.
Brushing Technique
- Brush your teeth twice a day using a soft bristled toothbrush and a pea-sized amount toothpaste that contains fluoride
- Always brush systematically so you thoroughly clean all surfaces of your teeth (example: you may like to start on the upper right back teeth and work your way clock wise around your mouth).
- Hold the brush at a 45° angle towards the gum line and use a gentle circular motion to brush the outside and inside surfaces of each tooth.
- Use back and forth strokes on the chewing surfaces.
- Use the tip of the brush to brush behind your front teeth, both top and bottom using a flicking motion.
- Brush your tongue from back to front to remove odour-producing bacteria.
- Finish with a spit, not a rinse.
- Replace your brush at the first sign of wear or every three months.
If using an electric toothbrush, you should be guiding the moving brush head slowly from tooth to tooth following the contours of the tooth and the curve of the gums. The spinning head needs to touch the tooth only, don’t apply pressure.
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