If you’ve been grinding away with your toothbrush every night since you were six, you probably feel like you’ve got the whole “dental health” issue licked. But the fact is, it takes more than just daily brushing to keep your mouth healthy. And now, we understand better than ever that oral health is linked to the health in the rest of your body.

Fortunately, many of us who grew up with fluoride in our water are experiencing better oral health than prior generations. I am proud to say that I have never had a cavity, and there are many others like me, thanks to the flouride our teeth are exposed to every day in the drinking water. However, some folks don’t get a lot of flouride because they live in an area where the water supply doesn’t contain it, or they drink a lot of bottled water or filtered water. If that’s you, talk to your dentist about whether you could benefit from a flouride rinse like ACT each evening before bed.

Most people brush, and getting flouride through the water supply is easy, but have you thought about flossing? Your dentist probably tells you that you need to floss every time you go see him. And he’s right, you should. Flossing is really not that hard, once you establish the habit. It takes maybe 60 seconds. If flossing is uncomfortable for you, consider using a waxed floss or flossing “tape” that is especially narrow and easy to slide through your teeth.

Even if you’re already brushing every night, or even twice a day, if you’re not brushing with an electric sonic toothbrush, there’s a lot more you could be doing to benefit your teeth. Sonic care toothbrushes combine the super-fast brushing action of a regular electric toothbrush with sonic (sound) waves that clean by vibrating water against your teeth and a very fast frequency. This high-tech combination is actually the best way (outside the dentist’s office) to remove plaque and stains from your teeth, leaving them healthier and whiter!

When I spoke to my dentist about it, they really recommended Sonic Care toothbrushes. I guess in addition to the extra fast brush-action of the bristles, the sonic care toothbrush also emits sound waves that help break up plaque on your teeth. I read about it in consumer reports and talked to a few people and started using the sonic care.

I bought a Sonicare toothbrush and decided to try it out. I enjoyed brushing with it – there was a 30-second timer to keep me on pace brushing all areas of my mouth. It got my teeth whiter, too. Even my dentist noticed at my next checkup.

So – now I keep my teeth healthy by drinking flouridated water, flossing once per day, brushing twice per day with my Soniccare Toothbrush, and visiting the dentist every six months.

I hope you decide to do the same – it’s worth it to take good care of your teeth.