KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --
October is Dental Hygiene Month and the Keesler dental staff would like to remind you to do "The Daily Four."
-Brush thoroughly twice a day
-Floss
-Use antimicrobial mouth rinse
-Chew sugar-free gum when possible
Maintaining good oral hygiene is one of the most important things you can do for your teeth and gums. Healthy teeth not only enable you to look and feel good, they make it possible to eat and speak properly. Good oral health is important to your overall well-being.
Daily preventive care, including proper brushing and flossing, will help stop problems before they develop and is much less painful, expensive, and worrisome than treating conditions that have been allowed to progress.
Poor oral hygiene invites plaque to accumulate around the base of your teeth and gum line, causing your gums to become red and inflamed. Plaque is the film that, if allowed to build up on teeth and gums, will cause tooth decay and gum disease. If you neglect the care of your teeth at home and fail to go to the dentist regularly, accumulated plaque could potentially lead to the development of empty spaces around your teeth. These spaces could eventually lead to the destruction of bone and other fragile tissues supporting your teeth, and you could lose your teeth.
Being diligent about your dental health care and getting regular dental checkups can prevent plaque from forming and even reverse early gum disease. A plaque-free mouth is a healthy mouth.