1. How many times a year should you have a dental cleaning?
2. When is the most important to time of day to brush your teeth?
3. True or False: Cleaning your tongue is optional.
4. How many teeth do adults have?
5. How often should you change your tooth brush?
6. What does fluoride do?
7. True or False: Flossing consists of snapping the floss between the teeth and removing it quickly.
8. What is the strongest substance in your body?
9. Is it what you eat, or when you eat, that causes tooth decay?
10. True or False: Smoking and Chewing Tobacco products can cause Gingivitis, Gum Disease, and can lead to Oral Cancer.
Answers:
1.This is a trick question. This really depends on the patient. A normal healthy patient with very little work in their mouth is seen every 6 months. Patients with gum disease, poor home care, large amounts of restorations, or high risk of tooth decay should be seen every 3 months. This helps us keep the bacteria levels in the mouth down.
2. The most important time of day to brush your teeth is before bed. You want to get all that bacteria off your teeth so that the acids don't attack your teeth for 8 hours straight while you sleep. None the less, you should always try to brush at least 2 times a day.
3. FALSE. Cleaning your tongue is one of the most important parts of your dental routine. The tongue harbors a lot of bacteria, so don't forget to clean it every time you brush your teeth.
4. Adults have 32 teeth. However, many people have had their wisdom teeth out or had teeth removed for braces. For this reason, the number can vary person to person.
5. Your tooth brush should be changed every 3 months or after you are sick.
6. Fluoride is used to strengthen teeth, calm sensitivity and prevent tooth decay.
7. FALSE. Never snap floss between your teeth, this can damage gums. Also, floss should be curved around each tooth and used to scrape the plaque off the tooth.
8. Enamel! It is the hardest, most mineralized substance in the body.
9. It's both! It is important to eat a balanced diet, and limit snacks between meals. Sugary snacks are not the best choice. Cheese or raw veggies are better. The more frequently you eat, the longer foods are in your mouth and more damage can occur.
10. TRUE. About eight out of ten people with mouth and throat cancers use tobacco and the risk of developing these cancers increases with the amount smoked or chewed and duration of the habit. Use of tobacco products, smoked or chewed can lead to Gingivitis and Gum Disease.
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