Brushing your teeth — is that all?

Your gums, cheeks and tongue — not to mention the roof of your mouth — need your attention too.

by Dr. Nicholas J. Meyer — 

We all know that we need to brush our teeth. This is drummed into us by our parents and our educators along the path to adulthood. Most of us choose to engage in this behavior at least once a day, some twice a day and fewer still thrice per day.

But what about the rest of the mouth? Your gums, cheeks and tongue — not to mention the roof of your mouth — need your attention too.

I want to encourage all of you reading this article to consider cleansing those additional areas while you are on your tooth-cleaning mission. These structures have lots of bugs on them too. So when you just scrub-a-dub-dub your teeth, you may be inadvertently repopulating the bacteria from the structures you have not cleaned.

Brushing your gums, palate, cheeks, tongue (both top and bottom) is an exceptionally refreshing experience. Your whole mouth will feel exhilarated having been so well cared for.

It may feel a bit strange at first, but with practice and persistence, your mouth and all of its inhabitants will enjoy the many blessings bestowed upon it by the ablutions performed.

So enjoy the experience of a lifetime for a lifetime of a healthier you.

Nicholas Meyer, D.D.S., D.N.M., is a general dentist in Scottsdale, Ariz., with a special interest in the functional aspects of the oral cavity that contribute to such maladies as TMJ, snoring and sleep apnea. 480-948-0560, DrMeyer@milldental.com or www.milldental.com.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 29, Number 1, Feb/Mar 2010.