Healthy Living: Preventing cavities
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No matter how often or hard you brush you teeth, cavities can still happen. Genetics, oral chemistry and saliva amounts contribute to your risk.
Dentist Christian Mathiesen recommends brushing with a soft-bristle brush to avoid damage to teeth.
"It's not necessary to use such a hard bristle because you're just trying to remove a bio-film, a thin film of plaque in the mouth. It's a bacterial film, so what you're trying to do is clean those areas really well without causing damage to the gumlines or the tooth," Mathiesen said.
Toothbrushes should be replaced every three months even if they don't look worn and even tooth fillings aren't permanent.
"They may not be sealing your teeth anymore, which means that decay is getting into the tooth through the margins between the tooth and the restoration. Very often, by replacing the restoration you can conserve tooth structure and maintain the integrity of a tooth," Mathiesen said.
Learn more in the video above.