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Dental Care: Brushing and Flossing Your Teeth
Regular brushing and flossing can help you:
- Prevent tooth decay and cavities. Tooth decay can lead to more serious problems, such as infection.
- Prevent
gum (periodontal) disease
, which can damage gum tissue and the
bones that support the
teeth , and can ultimately cause you to lose teeth.
- Make it possible that your teeth will last a lifetime.
- Shorten the time you spend with the dentist and hygienist and make the trip more pleasant.
- Save money. By preventing tooth decay and gum disease, you can reduce the need for fillings and other costly procedures.
- Prevent bad breath. Brushing and flossing rid your mouth of the bacteria that cause bad breath.
- Keep your teeth white by preventing staining from food, drinks, and tobacco.
- Improve your overall health.
Test Your Knowledge
You need to brush and floss to prevent tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease.
TrueBrushing and flossing do help prevent tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease. And they also make your trip to the dentist more pleasant, save you money, prevent bad breath, and keep your teeth whiter. If you brush and floss, your teeth can last a lifetime.
FalseBrushing and flossing do help prevent tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease. And they also make your trip to the dentist more pleasant, save you money, prevent bad breath, and keep your teeth whiter. If you brush and floss, your teeth can last a lifetime.
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How to brush and floss your teeth
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Dental Care: Brushing and Flossing Your Teeth
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: April 18, 2011 |
| Medical Review: | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine Arden Christen, DDS, MSD, MA, FACD - Dentistry | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
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