Brush your teeth after every meal. Floss regularly. Avoid drinking too many sugary beverages. There are plenty of things that we can do to help promote oral health. Yet for many of us, we brush our teeth without realizing how important a clean mouth is to our overall health. In fact, your mouth can provide the firsthand view on nutrition and infections, both of which can affect the rest of your body.

Once our baby teeth fall out, we only get one set of teeth. With the proper prevention and care, most oral conditions and diseases can be avoided or greatly reduced. Mira Diora, DDS, and Jennifer Moy, Dental Hygienist, Dentistry at NorthShore, give the following tips to keep your mouth healthy and clean:

• Brush your teeth after every meal, or at least twice a day, with a fluoride, FDA-approved toothpaste.
• Floss your teeth every day. By just brushing your teeth, you can’t always remove food between your teeth.
• Use a mouthwash after brushing and flossing, if desired.
• Go to the dentist! It is recommended to go to the dentist two times a year. This will help with early detection of any potential problems.
• Wait 30 minutes after drinking acidic beverages (i.e., soda) before brushing your teeth to prevent enamel wear down.
• Limit sipping on acidic beverages throughout the day. Try to drink acidic beverages only during mealtimes.

How many times a day do you brush your teeth? Do you floss every day?