Are You Doing Everything You Can to Protect Your Teeth?

From WebMD:
You brush and floss your teeth twice a day, and use mouthwash. Does that mean you’re doing everything you can to protect your teeth? No! Here are a few important things you should know about your teeth:

• Sour can be just as bad as sweet. Acidic, low-pH foods like soft drinks, fruit juice, and sour candy act almost like battery acid in the mouth, and can soften teeth, lead to enamel erosion, and prevent a kid’s adult teeth from growing to full size! Dr. Martha Keels, the chief of pediatric dentistry at Duke University Children’s Hospital, says that the worst offenders are ultra-sour, ultra-sticky kids’ candies like Warheads and Toxic Waste. Even sour gummy vitamins can be bad for your teeth.
• If you can’t brush immediately after a meal, chew gum that contains xylitol and recaldent – like Trident sugarless gum. Xylitol keeps bacteria from sticking to your teeth – and may even help prevent cavities, and recaldent helps strengthen tooth enamel.
• Tooth enamel may be the hardest substance in your body – but it still breaks easily – especially if your teeth have been weakened by drilling and fillings. Most breakage is caused by chewing ice or popcorn, or having piercings in your lips and tongue. So, avoid them.
• Finally, teach your kids to use only a pea-sized dab of toothpaste. Why? Because too much fluoride is bad for their teeth. Kids tend to swallow toothpaste when they brush. Kids under age 8 who swallow too much toothpaste develop fluorosis, a condition that creates white spots on their permanent teeth that eventually turn brown. No amount of brushing or polishing will get rid of them.