When it comes to brushing your teeth, it all seems pretty straight forward but our dentists in Parramatta know a few things that might surprise you. Here are 4 tips to help you obtain even better dental health.

We all know the advice given for healthy teeth – don’t eat too much sugar and brush twice a day, so why is that most of us do this, but still end up needing a filling when we visit the dentist ?

That’s because there is a little more to preventing tooth decay than avoiding sugar and brushing twice a day.

• How you brush your teeth makes a big difference. Brushing removes plaque that forms on teeth after you’ve eaten, bacteria consume sugar which then produces an acid that dissolves the minerals out of teeth which leaves behind those tiny holes, and if the process isn’t stopped, it can become a larger, visible cavity. Taking two minutes to brush is good for removing plaque and you should still brush twice a day. Electric toothbrushes are more effective than manual brushing and a small toothbrush head allows you to reach those hard to reach areas in the mouth while medium-textured bristles help you clean effectively without hurting your teeth and gums.
• Many of the benefits gained from brushing come from the toothpaste you use. The critical ingredient in toothpaste is fluoride which helps prevent tooth decay, it replaces lost minerals in teeth and makes them stronger. Plaque is hard to see because it’s white, just like your teeth. Disclosing tablets are available in chemists and supermarkets and they make plaque more visible, showing you any areas, you may have missed when brushing.
• At night you produce less saliva than you do during the day. This means you have less protection from saliva and are more vulnerable to attacks by acid. It’s, for this reason, that it’s important to bush before bed so plaque can’t feast on your teeth during the night. After brushing, don’t eat or drink anything to give your toothpaste the best chance to work. Once you have brushed, don’t use mouthwash or rinse, you’re washing away the fluoride. Dentists in Parramatta know it can be a hard habit to break, but it can reduce tooth decay by up to 25%.
• Sugars found naturally in foods like fruit are less likely to cause decay than sugars added to food by manufacturers. It can be hard to tell what the bad sugars really are. While normal amounts of fruit are fine, fruit juices have sugar added and heavy consumption can cause decay. It’s recommended that sugar should take up less than 5% of your daily calorie intake. For adults and children over the age of 11, that’s about 30grams or about 8 teaspoons of sugar daily. A simple way to cut down is to not put sugar in hot drinks and limit the number of snacks.

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• How to Handle a Dental Emergency When You Are Abroad
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