Healthy Teeth is as Easy as 1-2-3

Florida has no shortage of various mouth-watering food to offer. Everything from conch fritters to stone crabs and alligator tail can be tasted at the Sunshine State. However, enjoying these delicacies is difficult if your teeth are damaged or you’re missing a tooth. Fortunately, remembering these three simple steps will help in taking good care of your teeth:

1. Floss at least once a day. A 2008 study shows that barely half of Americans floss daily and about 10% never do. While you may brush your teeth regularly, doing so only cleans the surface. The spaces between teeth can still harbor bits of food and even worse, plaque, a sticky and naturally occurring film that contains bacteria. Fortunately, plaque takes 24 hours to form, so flossing once a day is more than enough to stop its development.
2. Visit your dentist at least twice a year. As with most health problems, prevention is better than cure. Visiting your dentist twice a year allows her to catch problems before they lead to serious ones like gingivitis or tooth loss. She’ll also do an oral prophylaxis—more commonly known as cleanings—to remove plaque build-up on your teeth.
3. Brush your teeth three times a day. When plaque comes in contact with the sugars and starches in the food you eat, an acid is produced that attacks the tooth’s enamel and promotes tooth decay. Brushing wipes the plaque off your teeth so they can remain healthy.