Back and forth, up and down — or around in circles? What’s the best way to brush teeth? As it turns out, nobody really knows. A recent study in the British Dental Journal revealed that dental associations, toothbrush makers and even dentists give wide-ranging and conflicting advice.
The best way to find out if your teeth cleaning technique is effective is to ask your dentist, says Mary Hayes, DDS, a pediatric dentist in Chicago and a spokesperson for the American Dental Association. Some methods are better suited for specific dental conditions, such as receding gums, periodontal disease, bridge work and braces, adds Alice Lee, DDS, a pediatric dentist at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, New York.  No matter what technique you use, these six strategies can help you smile brighter and protect your pearly whites (and soft pinks).

1. Floss first, then brush
“The bristles of your brush can’t reach into every crevice between teeth, so flossing at least once a day needs to be a part of your regular routine,” says Steven Davidowitz, DDS, a dentist in New York City. By flossing before you brush, you loosen plaque and food particles so your toothbrush can sweep them away more easily.

2. Get a (gentle) grip
Grasping a toothbrush tightly with your fist can cause you to scrub so hard that you damage your gums and even scratch away at the delicate enamel, says Sivan Finkel, DMD, a dentist in New York City. Hold the brush lightly — use just two fingers if that helps. You want to get the tips of the bristles just under the gum line, so angle the head of the brush 45 degrees upward for upper teeth and 45 degrees downward for the lower ones. Hold the brush flat to clean the areas away from the gums and chewing surfaces.

3. Zoom in the tough spots
It’s easy to swipe the brush along the teeth’s flat surfaces, but the harder-to-reach areas need the most attention. “Concentrate on the front and bottom teeth and the ones all the way in the back ,” advises Brian Novy, DDS, a dentist at the DentaQuest Institute, a national non-profit organization devoted to improving oral health care.
Spend 30 seconds cleaning each quadrant of your mouth for a total of two minutes of brushing. Brush at least twice a day.

4. Brush before your morning Joe
Seriously. If you’re a first-thing-in-the-morning OJ or coffee drinker, brush before you sip. “Because these beverages are acidic, they can temporarily soften tooth enamel,” explains Finkel. “Brushing after drinking them can damage the surface of your teeth.” Rinse well after you brush to banish the toothpaste taste: Mint doesn’t pair well with juice or coffee.

5. Be choosy about toothpaste
According to a recent Swedish study, high fluoride toothpaste leaves behind a higher concentration of fluoride in plaque and saliva than standard toothpaste. The study also found that brushing three times a day increased fluoride retention. Can’t manage to brush more than twice a day? No problem. The research also found that massaging high-fluoride toothpaste directly onto the teeth with a finger was an effective alternative to brushing a third time.
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6. Swish after a soda 
Simply swishing water in your mouth (or better yet, a mixture of ¼ teaspoon baking soda and eight ounces of water) will help to neutralize your mouth after an acidic meal or beverage, says Lee. 

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Article Credits:  Jennifer Kelly Geddes is a New York City-based writer and editor who specialized in parenting, health and child development.  She's also the mom of two teen girls — via SafeBee

Aching back? Menstrual cramps? Next time you’re hurting, grab a yoga mat. That’s right your favorite fitness class might also help heal you.

For example, a new study in the Journal of Rheumatology found that among sedentary adults suffering from arthritis, 8 weeks of yoga helped improve their pain levels and general health and well-being. This adds to other research showing it might also ease annoying body problems like headaches and menstrual cramps.

Wondering how yoga can help you? Here are 10 poses that help with some of the most nagging issues, provided by Katie Brauer, chief program officer of Yoga Six, which has studios in California, Missouri, and Illinois.

Menstrual cramps Often treated with over-the-counter painkillers and birth control pills, monthly menstrual cramps are a real bummer. Performing these poses at the height of your pain may be helpful.

Stress-related teeth grinding So stressed your jaw hurts? You might be suffering from “bruxism,” aka teeth grinding. In severe cases this can lead to jaw disorders, headaches, on top of dental problems, but for many people teeth grinding is an unconscious habit brought on by stress or anxiety. (It can also happen while you sleep; seeing a dentist for chronic teeth-grinding is recommended.)
To ease the after-effects of a (literally) grinding day, you can use these poses to relieve stress and tension in the neck, upper shoulders, and trapezius, Brauer says.

Back pain from poor posture Fact: we all spend entirely too much time hunched over our phones and computers. Research shows looking down at your screen may put as much as 60 pounds of added weight to your spine. This poor posture over time can lead to killer back pain.  See: text neck.
“Open up your spine with the cat-cow pose—start in the table top position and curve and collapse your spine 10-15 times—to open up your whole spinal column,” Brauer recommends. Then move on to:

Belly bloat When a big meal leads to gas and an upset tummy, a few minutes of yoga may be just what you need. Brauer says that many of the yoga poses that work to ease menstrual cramps may also help bloating. “Focus on movements that will activate or stimulate the digestive system,” she says.

Seated Twist
Sit up straight with your legs out in front of you. Bend your right leg at the knee and take it over your left, with your foot planted on the floor. Inhale to create length in the spine, and exhale while twisting to the right. Use your right hand behind you like a kickstand. Take several breaths and continue to grow through the spine and twist more deeply with your exhale. Unravel and repeat on the other side.
How it helps: This move helps to the muscles of the torso and outer hip, while the twisting action helps move gas through the stomach.

Ringing ears Also known as tinnitus, chronic ringing ears affects approximately 40 million Americans. Treatment often involves medications to help patients to control anxiety, depression, or insomnia. This is because stress can actually increase symptoms of tinnitus, which is why yoga, a known stress reliever might help, too.
“Yoga in its broadest sense—especially breathing exercises and some basic postures—will immediately dilute and dissipate stress,” explains Brauer.

It is a well-known fact that too much sugar can lead to tooth decay. However, it is not the sugar itself that does the damage, but rather a chain of events that takes place after having a sugary meal.

Your children may be more inclined to heed your warnings about the effects of sugar on their teeth if they know about the continuous tug-of-war taking place inside their mouths. Here's how taking certain actions can prevent tooth decay from hijacking your family's oral health.

How cavities develop
According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), the mouth is full of hundreds of bacteria, many of which are beneficial to the oral ecosystem. However, certain harmful oral bacteria actually feed on the sugars you eat to create acids that destroy the tooth enamel, which is the shiny, protective outer layer of the tooth.

Cavities are a bacterial infection created by acids that cause your teeth to develop a hole in them. Without treatment, cavities can progress past the enamel and into the deeper layers of the tooth, causing pain and possible tooth loss.

A constant battle in the mouth
Your teeth are frequently under attack by acids, but the good news is this damage is constantly being reversed. Acids leech minerals from the enamel through a process called demineralization. Fortunately, the natural process of remineralization replaces those minerals and strengthens the teeth all over again - and your saliva is a key player.

Saliva contains minerals such as calcium and phosphates to help repair the teeth. Fluoride is another mineral that helps repair weakened enamel. However, replacing lost minerals can only do so much to prevent the effects of sugar on teeth if you eat lots of sweets and starches throughout the day. Limiting your sugar intake is vital if you want to give your mouth a fighting chance to fix the damage.

Ways to remineralize tooth enamel
Experts at the University of Rochester Medical Center offer several tips for preventing cavities. In addition to cutting down on sugar, stimulating saliva flow is recommended to help bathe the teeth in minerals. Chewing sugarless gum and incorporating fibrous vegetables and fruits into your diet are good ways to salivate.

Cheese, yogurt and other dairy products also contain calcium and phosphates to strengthen the teeth, and are much better choices for snack time than sugary or starchy treats. Additionally, green and black teas contain substances that help suppress harmful oral bacteria, so adding a few cups to your daily routine - without sugar, of course - can help maintain a healthy balance in the mouth.

Finally, fluoride is a mineral that not only prevents tooth decay, but also reverses it in its early stages, according to the American Dental Association (ADA). So, drink plenty of fluoridated water and brush regularly with an ADA-approved fluoride toothpaste which cleans out sugar-dependent germs.

The ADA also recommends professional fluoride treatments from a dentist.
Constant vigilance is the key to preventing the negative effects of sugar on teeth. Encourage your children to limit their sugar intake, brush away bacteria-filled plaque regularly and consume healthy foods that strengthen the teeth. Add regular dental visits and fluoride treatments to the mix, and you and your loved ones have the best shot at winning the battle against tooth decay.

(Article written by Dr. Sharon Robinson and published in the Jamaica Observer)

Regular Brushing And Flossing May Promote Heart Health.In an article for the Dallas Morning News (7/11) “Health Blog,” Dr. Jane Sadler, a family physician in Garland, Texas, discussed the importance of regular brushing and flossing, saying that “poor health hygiene can result in loss of gum health and structural bone support.” Sadler also stated that “one study found that people who brushed their teeth less often had a 70 percent increased risk of heart disease compared to those with strict oral hygiene habits.”

By Jane Sadler:  Dallas Morning News:

After two months of boarding, my dogs were released from jail to join our family. The fire had left us without the ability to manage animals in our tiny temporary hotel. Really, I should not refer to their boarding facility as a jail. They enjoyed two acres and a bone-shaped wading pool. My husband paid extra for the daily doggie-ice cream treats. But there were consequences. We did not pay extra for the dogs’ standard daily tooth brushing and now their teeth look terrible. I immediately resumed their daily brushing routine.

Many years ago, a veterinarian’s wife emphasized the connection between heart and dental health. She expressed her frustration that many pet owners don’t care for their animals’ teeth and gums. Our conversation propelled me to more regularly engage patients about their dental health and to start better caring for my own animals.

A stickler for tooth brushing (ask my teens), I am surprised that many people do not brush or floss regularly. At a child’s physical exam, we regularly encourage twice daily brushing. Although I might be stretching my luck, older children also are advised to pull out the dental floss and start using it daily.

Poor health hygiene can result in loss of gum health and structural bone support. The World Health Organization reports 10-20 percent of people worldwide have severe dental disease and nearly 40 percent has moderate disease. One study found that people who brushed their teeth less often had a 70 percent increased risk of heart disease compared to those with strict oral hygiene habits.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has specific recommendations for parents to develop healthy dental habits for their children. The American Dental Association has more age-specific recommendations for adults that include brushing twice daily along with regular flossing and regular dental visits.

I am glad to report that my teeth are considerably healthier than my dogs’ teeth. However, I will get back to their regular dental routine and all will be good. As far as my teens’ dental health…well, I will just say that they better read this article because they could probably use a brush up on their own dental hygiene!