Ax the Dental Visit Anxiety

• If being in the dentist's chair makes you anxious, encourage calm by bringing a music player and headphones to your next appointment. And because some people hold their breath when they're nervous -- boosting that anxious feeling -- focus on breathing regularly. Above all, communicate with your dentist. They understand your fears and want to help.

Floss First or Brush First?

• Either way is acceptable as long as you do a thorough job. However, if you use dental floss before you brush, the fluoride from the toothpaste has a better chance of reaching between teeth. Some people brush their teeth and unfortunately skip flossing because they think their mouth feels clean or they may be short on time or tired and flossing is postponed. That’s not a good idea.

Go Easy With Toothpicks

• Most dentists will say that it is easy to pick out their patients who regularly use toothpicks. This is because a using toothpick can cause certain types of damage, the most common of which is gum abrasion. In these cases, patients use too much pressure when attempting to remove food from their teeth, and this has resulted in a separation between the gums and the teeth. (Ouch!) Gum abrasion can result in gum disease and other oral health

issues.

Change your Tooth Brush Regularly

• Toothbrush bristles fray, flatten, and wear over time. To help keep your smile bright, replace your manual toothbrush every three or four months; for electric toothbrush heads, follow the manufacturer's advice. Feeling sick? Avoid harboring germs by replacing your toothbrush at the beginning and end of your illness.

yes Cheese!!! get White Teeth!

• The casein and whey protein in cheese can help keep your tooth enamel in top form by reducing demineralization. A bonus: Cheese also has vital, tooth-building calcium. Don't forget to include vitamin D in your diet, which helps your body absorb calcium. A few vitamin D-rich foods include milk, egg yolks, and fish.

Avoid Foods That Stain Your Teeth• Anything that leaves a mark on

your hands or clothes can also stain your teeth. Some of your favorites may be on this list:

• Coffee• Tea• Soda• Red and white wine• Grape or cranberry juice• Blueberries• Beets• Soy sauce• Tomato sauce

You can still enjoy these foods, but it's a good idea to brush or rinse your mouth thoroughly afterwards.

Have Foods That Prevent Tooth Stains

• Surprise! Some common fruits and vegetables scrub your teeth gently while you chew them. They also help you make saliva, which counteracts acid and cleans your mouth. Stain-preventing fruits and vegetables include:

• Apples

• Carrots

• Celery

• Cauliflower

• Hard cheeses also give your teeth a scrub.

Take Care of Your Tongue

• Tackle bad breath every time you brush -- take time to brush or scrape your tongue, too. Your tongue plays host to the bacteria that help cause bad breath, so giving it a scrub, or using a tongue scraper daily, can help reduce odor-causing compounds.