Mildura Dental Group
183 Walnut Ave, Mildura, Vic, 3500
Ph: (03) 5021 2150
Fax: (03) 5021 2494
reception@milduradentist.com.au

How to care for your teeth
Proper care for your teeth allows you to avoid many dental problems. It's simple—all you need is a little persistence to establish good habits:

1. Brush twice per day using a fluoride toothpaste and a soft toothbrush.
2. Use a jiggling or rolling action making sure you clean right up to the gums and get to the back teeth.
3. Floss four times a week with waxed floss.
4. Avoid soft drinks, sports drinks and between meal snacks.

Selecting a toothbrush
You can get good results with either an electric or a manual toothbrush.

1. For an electric tooth brush choose one with a round head and an oscillating action.
2. Make sure the bristles are soft—they clean better because the bristles flex around the teeth and into crevices. Also, hard bristles wear teeth, resulting in grooves and gum recession.
3. Use a brush with a small head so that you can get right to the back teeth.
4. Make sure that the brush that feels good in your hand.
5. Depending on how hard you brush, toothbrushes last a month or two. The moment the bristles look 'dog-eared' get a new one.

Further Dental Health Tip

Flossing Don’t floss all your teeth—just the ones you want to keep.		Sore tooth ? Oil of cloves may help until you can get to the dentist.
Clean dentures Soaking overnight in half vinegar and water will loosen tartar build-up. Brush the denture in the morning and repeat until clean.		Soft toothbrush Use a soft toothbrush. It will clean better (the bristles shape to the tooth) without the risk of damage to the teeth and gums.
Sugarless gum Chewing sugarless gum after meals will reduce tooth decay.		Mouth infection Mouth rinses with chlorhexidine are very effective against infection.
Mouthguards A mouthguard costs about $150 but could save you thousands. Don’t go on the field without one!		Avoid problems Never chew ice or bones and don’t use your teeth to open packets or break string.
Save broken pieces Broken pieces of front teeth can sometimes be bonded back on. If you break a tooth in an accident keep the pieces wet in milk or water and get to a dentist straight away.		Tooth knocked out Rinse it gently with milk or cold water and push it back in. If you can’t get it back in then keep it moist. Either way get to a dentist as soon as you can.
Children’s toothpaste Use toothpaste with 1/2 fluoride for children under 6. This stops them getting mottled teeth by eating toothpaste when they brush.		Lots of holes Soft drinks and sports drinks cause a lot of tooth decay. By drinking less or changing to diet drinks you will get less holes in your teeth.
Sealants Have the grooves in your back teeth fissure sealed. It’s cheaper and easier than fillings.		Bad breath Have your teeth checked. Major causes of bad breath are tooth decay and infected gums.
Very nervous Modern sedatives can remove most anxiety from dental visits.		Sensitive teeth Try using Sensodyne toothpaste. Many people swear by it.