How to practice good oral hygiene:

• Brush your teeth at least twice a day. The best times to brush are right before you go to bed and right after you wake up.  When you’re sleeping, your mouth doesn’t produce as much saliva.  Saliva has good bacteria that help to keep your mouth clean, so brushing before and after you sleep helps to lessen the bad bacteria that grows as you sleep. 

• Try to brush your teeth for at least 2 minutes every time you brush.  Make sure you brush all of your teeth, not just the front ones. 

• Brush your tongue and gums as well. Bacteria lives all over your mouth, so brushing your tongue and gums will help to get rid of bacteria and leave your mouth minty fresh!

• Floss every day!! Lots of tiny food particles get stuck in between our teeth, where we can’t reach them with a toothbrush. Flossing gets rid of the bits of food, so bacteria don’t have stuff to feed on (gross but true). Flossing is especially important if you have metal braces, because braces create even more nooks for food particles (there are certain flosses make especially for easy-threading through braces).

• Mouthwash helps to kill bacteria in your mouth as well.  Swish it around for about thirty seconds, but make sure you don’t swallow.  If the taste of mouthwash is too strong, you can dilute it by adding a little water. 

• Try to avoid foods that are bad for your teeth, like very sugary candy, sodas, and overly chewy or hard foods. This is especially important if you already have a bad toothache (it may be the start of a cavity, and the foods mentioned can make it much worse). Gum and other chewy things are also bad if you have braces.

• Visit the dentist. If you do have a pain in your teeth, make sure you go to your dentist. It may be just a simple toothache, or it could be a more serious problem.  Also see your dentist if your gums are overly sensitive (which could indicate gingivitis).