• Basic dental care
• Does my diet affect the health of my gums?

One friend of mine says it's like having sweaters on her teeth -- that sticky, filmy feeling you get after a meal, when all you want to do is grab your toothbrush. The film that forms on your teeth is called plaque, and plaque buildup can lead to gum disease.

Plaque is made up of bacteria left over from the food you eat, and those microorganisms can get into your gums. You may notice that your gums bleed. They may be inflamed and red rather than pink. These are the first signs of a gum disease called gingivitis. Gingivitis is a red flag. If you don't take care of it, you can develop severe gum disease that could eventually lead to the loss of your teeth. The best defense is to take care of gum problems as soon as they start.

"Gingivitis is the one and only stage of periodontal [gum] disease that is totally reversible," says Dr. Sally Cram, a Washington, D.C. periodontist. Cram says the best defense against bacteria is simple: better and more frequent dental hygiene.

Basic dental care

What you've heard before is true: Brushing your teeth at least twice a day gets rid of that nasty plaque. Ideally, you should brush after every meal. Although most of us think we know how to brush our teeth, many of us are wrong.

Dental hygienists are particularly skilled in the subtleties that separate good from bad brushing. They are to teeth what fortune-tellers are to palms. They can look in your mouth, probe around, and say things like, "Your toothbrush is missing the inside of your four upper teeth on the right side," or offer advice such as, "Start brushing there first, and do it twice as long as you normally do." They can also tell if you're brushing too hard in one area and hurting the gum. In this cases of toothbrushing, harder isn't better: Brush gently, and always use a toothbrush labeled "soft." "I don't know why "hard" and "medium" toothbrushes are even on the market," says a dentist for the county of San Francisco. "The only things those are good for is scrubbing tile or your bathroom sink."

Besides brushing your teeth after eating, you need to make sure that the bacteria that cause plaque don't build up between your teeth. Toothbrushes are too big and clumsy to get in there. That's why there's dental floss. It can pull out that stubborn piece of spinach that's been crumpled in between your teeth since lunch, as well as clean out hard-to-reach plaque. Flossing once a day is your best protection against gum disease.

Does my diet affect the health of my gums?

Absolutely. We all have good and bad bacteria in our mouths. "If you're eating a lot of sugary or acidic foods and not brushing or flossing, bad bacteria can multiply even more," says Cram. She notes that while they are no substitutes for proper brushing, high-fiber foods like celery and carrots can help break up plaque.

A lack of certain vitamins has also been linked to gum disease. A study published in the Journal of Periodontology surveying 12,419 adults between the ages of 20 and 90 found "a relationship between reduced dietary Vitamin C and increased risk for periodontal disease for the overall population."
Certainly, many of us like to have our cookies or candy now and then. That's okay, as long as you chase away those bacteria with your toothbrush.