Want a perfect smile? Try this quiz to see if you know enough about mouth care; get what you want.
(1). The stronger the hair on your toothbrush, the cleaner your teeth will be.
a. True
b. Wrong
Answer: b. Wrong.
The best brushes for brushing are soft ones. In fact, stiff hairs can do more harm than good, as they are more likely to injure gums and wear your enamel (the protective coating of your teeth). Dental plaque is just as soft as jelly, so why use a stiff bristled brush to remove it?
(2). The most important time to brush is in the morning.
a. True
b. Wrong
Answer: b. Wrong.
At night, when we don’t swallow as often, our saliva is less able to wash plaque that could be doing its catastrophic job on or between our teeth. That’s why you don’t want to go to sleep with any plaque construction sitting on your teeth. Therefore, the best time to brush is just before going to bed in the evening.
(3). You should change your toothbrush at least once a month.
a. True
b. Wrong
Answer: b. Wrong.
Invest in a new toothbrush whenever the bristles start to turn out. Rocky hairs cannot get hard to reach places, so they leave food and cavity-causing germs behind. Therefore, the time to change your toothbrush depends on the condition of the hair and not the period of use.
(4). The right offer to use when brushing your teeth is:
a. up and down
b. back and forth
c. recurring motion
ch. all of the above
Answer: c. Recurring motion.
Brushing circular motion is the best way to clean teeth and the least damaging. Other methods can cause discoloration of gums, causing bleeding and withdrawal. Brushing round motion sweeps plaque in hard-to-reach places away from the teeth, when brushing back and forth, or up and down, it does not remove hidden plaque sufficiently.
(5). Dirty tongue can cause bad breath.
a. True
b. Wrong
Answer: a. True.
One of the main causes of bad breath is bacteria on your tongue. A tongue scrub is the best tool for removing these old odors, but brushing your tongue with a toothbrush and toothpaste will do the trick.
(6). You should always floss before you brush.
a. True
b. Wrong
c. It doesn’t matter.
Answer: c. It doesn’t matter.
Believe it or not, it doesn’t matter when you floss – as long as you do it once a day. It takes 24-hour plaque to form on your teeth. Flossing reaches the areas between your teeth that your toothbrush loses.
(7) All over-the-counter whitening toothpaste works easily.
a. True
b. Wrong
Answer: b. Wrong.
Whitening toothpaste is not bleach, so they won’t turn your teeth white. But they do contain some ingredients that can lighten teeth a bit by attacking surface stains.