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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
Diagnosis and Tests
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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
- Dentist Should Advise Vegetarians on Good Oral Health (Academy of General Dentistry)
-
Don't Toss the Floss! The Benefits of Daily Cleaning Between Teeth
(National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
- Mouth Rinses (Academy of General Dentistry)
Treatments and Therapies
- Minimally Invasive Dentistry (Academy of General Dentistry)
-
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)
- What Is Cosmetic Dentistry? (Academy of General Dentistry)
Specifics
- Blood Thinners and Dental Care (American Academy of Oral Medicine)
-
Dental Care Every Day: A Caregiver's Guide
(National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research)
- Healthy Mouth, Healthy Body (American Dental Association) - PDF
-
Oral Health and Bone Disease
(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - PDF
- Oral Health: A Window to Your Overall Health (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) 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
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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: Effectiveness of an online application of the health action process approach...
- Article: Validation of the brazilian version of the oral health impact profile...
- Article: Influence of small-group experiential learning of integrated traditional Chinese and Western...
- Dental Health -- see more articles
Reference Desk
- Glossary of Dental Terms (Academy of General Dentistry)
- Oral Health Glossary (Academy of General Dentistry)
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
Men
- Why Is Oral Health Important for Men? (Academy of General Dentistry)
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