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When I was young my parents made sure I visited the dentist regularly, so there were never any serious problems with my teeth. Every six months I was back in the big chair again, opening my jaws as wide as I could for the dentist and his assistant to get rid of all that extra tartar and plaque.

Now that I'm on my own taking care of my teeth is up to me. Obviously you will want to maintain good oral hygiene. So, to do this there are steps you can take to ensure your teeth stay in good shape.

1. Eat a proper, well balanced diet and avoid too many carbonated sodas, chocolate bars and hard candies. Every once in a while these treats are o.k. like when you're out seeing a movie but it's best not to eat and drink these sugary items every day. The excessive sugar will rot your teeth.

2. Don't smoke. This is probably the best thing you can do to keep the tissues inside your mouth disease free. The nicotine in cigarettes will stain your teeth a nasty yellow, and no amount of brushing will get rid of it. Kick this nasty habit, you can get cancer and you wouldn't want that, right?

3. Brush your teeth after every meal, and don't forget to floss. Many people neglect to do this after they finish eating, and if you're one of them remember all of the little fragments of your sandwich which get lodged between your teeth and stay there for the whole day. Yuck! If you can't get to a sink and some toothpaste, have some gum handy. Any kind will do, Trident, Dentyne or Wrigley's. While you're chewing the saliva in your mouth will help to dislodge any leftover food between your teeth.

4. Work your toothbrush around where your teeth meet your gums, but gently. Afterwards rinse your mouth with Listerine or Plax and gargle for at least ten to fifteen seconds. Do this twice a day and you'll feel like you have just come out of the dentist's office.

5. Pay attention to any warning signs coming from your mouth. If you suddenly feel pain when eating specific foods you should make an appointment to see your dentist.

6. We can't see cavities by ourselves. Adults should try to see their dentist at least once a year to make sure nothing is wrong.

There is a connection between poor oral hygiene and the risk of strokes, heart attacks and high blood pressure. Inadequate nutrition or bad habits can contribute to the inflammation in the oral cavity, which then leads to more serious difficulties.

Try using an electric toothbrush, it does a better job of removing excess tartar from your teeth.

Learn more about this author, Scott Hayden.
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