Give plaque the brush-off!

    Brushing your teeth twice a day can save you hundreds of dollars--sometimes thousands--in dental work. But in spite of it being such a simple task, lots of people brush their teeth incorrectly, either skipping around so much they don't really clean anything, or rubbing so hard that they actually damage their teeth and gums. We'll show you the proper way to brush your teeth and keep your smile in tip-top shape.

    Before you begin...

    Choose your toothbrush 

    Dental researchers have discovered that toothbrushes with soft, nylon or polyester bristles with rounded tops do the best job of brushing teeth. Stiff bristles with sharp edges can damage teeth and gums, while natural bristles are porous and can harbor bacteria.

    Your toothbrush should be easy to handle, and its head should be small enough to fit into your mouth easily. The modern trend in toothbrushes is toward smaller heads that can be used more precisely around gumlines and between teeth.

    If the bristles on your toothbrush no longer stick up straight but rather flare to the side, it's time for a new one. Dental experts say it's a good idea to replace your toothbrush every two to three months.

    Choose your toothpaste

    Here's what toothpaste can do for you:

    Remove plaque

    Resist decay

    Promote remineralization of the teeth

    Clean and polish

    Remove stains

    Freshen breath 
    There are a wide variety of toothpastes, but whatever you choose, make sure it includes fluoride. Fluoride only makes up about 0.24 percent of any toothpaste, but it's the most essential ingredient for dental health because it fights plaque and cavities. Beyond fluoride, take your pick from formulations (gel, paste, powder) and extras like tartar control and whiteners.

    Learn the proper brush stroke 

    Does technique really matter? Yes it does. The most popular technique, called the Bass technique, concentrates on the third of the tooth nearest the gumline and the gum itself, where plaque tends to concentrate. By thoroughly cleaning this area before brushing the rest of the tooth's surfaces, you can wipe out most of the problem-causing bacteria in your mouth. 

    To practice the proper brush stroke, hold the toothbrush head (without any toothpaste on it yet) at a 45-degree angle toward your gums. The bristles should be gently flexed so they surround the gum tissues and the portion of the tooth closest to the gumline. Using either a circular or jiggling, up-and-down motion, brush this area with your toothbrush. After several seconds cleaning this area, slide the toothbrush away from the gum, over the tooth's surface toward the open mouth area. This will clean the rest of the tooth's side surface and brush the loosened bacteria away from and off of the tooth. This technique also stimulates the gum.

    A modified version of this technique uses more up-and-down motion over the entire tooth, usually one-and-a-half teeth at a time. Yet another technique uses a circular or elliptical motion over the entire tooth, one-and-a-half teeth at a time.

    Brush your teeth

    To brush your teeth, put a pea-sized drop of toothpaste on your toothbrush, then cover all the surfaces of all the teeth in your mouth, using the Bass technique. Brush all outside surfaces first, both upper and lower, and then all inside surfaces next, upper and lower. Don't skip any teeth as you go around. Once you've done all the sides, you can gently use that old back-and-forth motion to clean the top chewing surfaces of your teeth.

    Finally, you'll want to gently brush your tongue to remove more bacteria and freshen your breath. If you have trouble with gagging, stick your tongue out to brush it, or consider purchasing a tongue scraper. You can also brush the roof of your mouth.

    When you're finished, thoroughly rinse your mouth with water and spit out the toothpaste. 

    The whole process should take about three minutes. Most people take less than a minute to brush their teeth, but this isn't long enough to do a thorough cleaning.

    When you think about it, three minutes twice a day is a small investment in terms of all the prevention it will give you. Cavities and gum disease are no fun. Brush them away with your handy toothbrush, and you can smile all the way to the dentist's office.

    拒絕牙斑

    每mei天tian刷shua兩liang次ci牙ya會hui讓rang你ni在zai牙ya齒chi的de投tou資zi上shang節jie省sheng幾ji百bai美mei元yuan
，可ke能neng有you時shi幾ji千qian美mei元yuan的de開kai支zhi。盡jin管guan是shi如ru此ci小xiao的de的de一yi項xiang工gong作zuo，但dan還hai是shi有you許xu多duo人ren不bu會hui正zheng確que刷shua牙ya
，不bu是shi草cao草cao了le事shi，不bu能neng真zhen正zheng清qing潔jie，就jiu是shi使shi勁jin太tai大da傷shang到dao牙ya齒chi和he牙ya齦yin。那na麼me
，我wo們men接jie下xia來lai就jiu會hui告gao訴su你ni正zheng確que的de刷shua牙ya方fang法fa讓rang你ni的de微wei笑xiao最zui迷mi人ren。

    在刷牙之前
，要選好牙刷。

    牙(ya)齒(chi)方(fang)麵(mian)的(de)研(yan)究(jiu)人(ren)員(yuan)發(fa)現(xian)

，那(na)種(zhong)帶(dai)圓(yuan)頭(tou)的(de)尼(ni)龍(long)軟(ruan)毛(mao)或(huo)聚(ju)酯(zhi)鬃(zong)毛(mao)的(de)牙(ya)刷(shua)最(zui)有(you)效(xiao)。那(na)種(zhong)硬(ying)毛(mao)尖(jian)頭(tou)的(de)牙(ya)刷(shua)會(hui)傷(shang)害(hai)到(dao)牙(ya)刷(shua)和(he)牙(ya)齦(yin)
，而(er)那(na)些(xie)天(tian)然(ran)的(de)能(neng)滲(shen)透(tou)的(de)鬃(zong)毛(mao)會(hui)滋(zi)生(sheng)細(xi)菌(jun)。

    對牙刷要求其實很簡單，刷頭小到正好能適合你的口腔。在牙刷上現在的趨勢是偏向小刷頭，正好能貼合牙床刷到各個牙齒。

    如果牙刷的鬃毛不再整齊豎起

，而是歪到一邊，那麼就要再換一個新的了。牙科專家說最好每兩個或三個月換一個牙刷。

    挑選牙膏

    下麵是牙膏的功效：

    清除牙斑

    提升牙齒礦元素

    防蛀

    清潔提亮牙齒

    去除牙垢

    清新口氣

    牙齒的品種很多，但不管你怎麼挑選
，一定要確保它含氟。牙膏含氟隻有0.24%，但卻是牙齒健康的最基本成分，因為它能抵抗牙菌斑和齲齒。除了氟之外，還要其他的成分和額外的像控製牙垢和漂白劑等。

    學會正確的刷牙技巧

    這些技巧真的管用嗎？是的，確實。最流行的一種叫Bass法，集中在最靠近牙床和牙齦的第三個牙齒那徹底清潔此區域，因為這牙菌斑容易集中這，這樣能消滅口腔中的細菌。

    練習正確的刷牙技巧，握著牙刷以45dudefangxiangkaojinchiyin。shizongmaoqingroudewanqushiqihenhaodetiehechiyinzuzhihezuijiejinyachuangnadeyachi。zaiciquyuyongyashuaqingyaolaihuishangxiayidong，jimiaozhonghou
，bayashuayidaokaojinzhangkouquyudeyachibiaomian。zheyanghuiqingjiedaoyachicemiandedifangnengquchuyachishangsongsandexijun。

   對(dui)此(ci)有(you)個(ge)修(xiu)正(zheng)版(ban)的(de)刷(shua)發(fa)，就(jiu)是(shi)在(zai)整(zheng)個(ge)牙(ya)齒(chi)上(shang)上(shang)下(xia)移(yi)動(dong)
，通(tong)常(chang)一(yi)下(xia)能(neng)刷(shua)到(dao)一(yi)個(ge)半(ban)牙(ya)齒(chi)。而(er)令(ling)一(yi)種(zhong)是(shi)圓(yuan)形(xing)或(huo)是(shi)橢(tuo)圓(yuan)形(xing)的(de)方(fang)法(fa)刷(shua)牙(ya)
，一(yi)下(xia)刷(shua)到(dao)一(yi)個(ge)半(ban)牙(ya)。

  牙刷時擠出豌豆大小一粒的牙膏到牙刷上
，用Bass法fa，覆fu蓋gai到dao口kou腔qiang裏li所suo有you牙ya齒chi的de表biao麵mian。首shou先xian，刷shua牙ya齒chi外wai麵mian，上shang下xia都dou要yao刷shua到dao，然ran後hou是shi裏li麵mian。不bu要yao漏lou掉diao任ren何he牙ya齒chi。一yi旦dan所suo有you的de都dou搞gao定ding後hou，你ni就jiu可ke以yi用yong老lao式shi的de刷shua法fa
，左zuo右you來lai回hui輕qing柔rou的de刷shua動dong，清qing潔jie牙ya齒chi上shang麵mian用yong來lai咀ju嚼jiao的de地di方fang。

    zuizhong，qingroudishuashuashetouquchugengduodexijunqingxinkouqi。ruguowangkouzhongsaidongxibushufuzuooudengqingkuang，bashetoushendaowaimianshua，huokaolvmaiyigeshebanshiguadao。yeyaoshuadaokouqiangshangbu。

    刷完之後，吐掉牙膏徹底地漱口。

    整個刷牙過程大約有3分鍾。大部分人一般刷牙不到一分鍾，但時間太短不能徹底清潔好牙齒。

    想一想，一天兩次，每次隻花費3分鍾的時間，是防護牙齒的一項小的投資。齲齒和牙齦疾病可不是鬧著玩的。手邊的牙刷刷掉這些細菌
，你就能從容擺脫牙科診所。