Dental Health

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• No links available

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Women
• Older Adults
• Patient Handouts

Summary

It's important to take care of your mouth and teeth starting in childhood. If you don't, you could have problems with your teeth and gums - like cavities or even tooth loss.

Here's how to keep your mouth and teeth healthy:

• Brush your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste
• Clean between your teeth every day with floss or another type of between-the-teeth cleaner
• Snack smart - limit sugary snacks
• Don't smoke or chew tobacco
• See your dentist or oral health professional regularly

NIH: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research

Start Here

• Oral Hygiene (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research) Also in Spanish
• Taking Care of Your Teeth and Mouth (National Institute on Aging) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Dental Exam (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Panoramic Dental X-Ray (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Don't Toss the Floss! The Benefits of Daily Cleaning Between Teeth (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Plaque: What It Is and How to Get Rid of It (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research) - PDF
• Prevention of Infective (Bacterial) Endocarditis: Wallet Card (American Heart Association) - PDF

Related Issues

• Infection Control: The Use and Handling of Toothbrushes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Specifics

• Blood Thinners and Dental Care (American Academy of Oral Medicine)
• Oral Health: A Window to Your Overall Health (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Taking on Teeth Grinding and Clenching: Halt Dental Damage and Jaw Pain (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

• FastStats: Oral and Dental Health (National Center for Health Statistics)
• Mouth Microbes: The Helpful and the Harmful (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Dental Care (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Oral Health (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: One-year oral health outcome of a community-based trial in schoolchildren aged...
• Article: Effectiveness of Individual Oral Health Care Training in Hospitalized Inpatients in...
• Article: The impact of gingivitis reduction on lung function: a randomized trial...
• Dental Health -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Find a Dentist (Academy of General Dentistry)
• HRSA: Find a Health Center (Health Resources and Services Administration)
• National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Also in Spanish

Women

• Oral Health (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish

Older Adults

• Older Adults and Oral Health (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research) - PDF Also in Spanish
• Taking Care of Your Teeth and Mouth (National Institute on Aging) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Dental care - adult (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Dental plaque identification at home (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Plaque: What It Is and How to Get Rid of It (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research) - PDF