10 Tips to Protect Your Teeth

1. Brush Correctly
* Brush your teeth for 3 minutes
* When you brush, position the head of the toothbrush toward your gums at a 45 degree angle. Move the brush back and forth gently in short strokes.
2. Eat teeth damaging foods sparingly
* Popcorn kernels, frozen candy bars, and ice cubes can crack your teeth
* Carbonated drinks erode tooth enamel
* Coffee and tea stain your teeth
3. Floss daily
4. Use an electronic toothbrush
5. Use your teeth only for chewing food
* Cracking nut shells, chewing pen caps and tearing off clothing tags can crack enamel, dislodge fillings or loosen teeth
6. Don't smoke
* Smokers are 4 times more likely to develop gum disease than non smokers
7. Don't clinch or grind teeth
* The pressure from clinching or grinding can add an additional 250 pounds of pressure per square inch of teeth.
* Clinching and grinding causes premature receding of gums and accelerates gum disease
8. Know the side effects of Medicines
* Side effects of some medicines indirectly affect your dental health
9. Don't ignore other health problems
* Some stomach conditions like gastrointestinal reflux disease can erode tooth enamel
10. Exercise Cautiously
* If necessary, wear a mouth guard to protect teeth
11. See a dentist twice a year
* A dentist can help you detect dental problems and fix them before they get worse.

From http://www.mamashealth.com