Here is my 7-minute, nightly program to protect the teeth, gums, and throat from infection.

When you are done eating for the night is a good time to do this, so that you have an 8 to 12 hour stretch of reduced plaque. Plaque is the sticky layer of germs and food particles on teeth that leads to periodontal (gum) disease, cavities, and bone damage.

Here’s what I recommend:

1. Water pik all surfaces of your teeth to rinse out larger food particles and increase circulation to your gums. The water pik that does the best job for me is made by WaterPik.

2. Floss your teeth to remove plaque from under the gum line. Do not snap the floss into the middle of the ‘V’ of the gums between two teeth, as this can damage and compact the gums. Move the floss as far as possible under the gum surface at the base of each side of the tooth. Once you are under the gum, scrape against the tooth surface on the way out to remove plaque. Use a mirror and keep scraping until all the plaque that can be seen is off. Use clean sections of floss as you move around the mouth.

3. Use a Sonicare toothbrush (Sold in our office --- we have the one with an Ultraviolet container to kill germs on the brushes.) to brush remaining particles off the teeth, gums, and tongue. (The tongue usually has more germs than other parts of the mouth.) Sonicare is the toothbrush least likely to lead to gum recession as it is the most gentle yet effective toothbrush.

4. Put your Sonicare brush head into the UV box and turn it on. Or, once a week, pour 3% hydrogen peroxide into a small glass and soak your toothbrush in it over night.

5. Sometimes, bacteria and food particles can slip under a filling. To reduce bacteria in these areas and help whiten teeth, hold a mouthful mixture of half water and half 3 % hydrogen peroxide in your mouth for a minute. Spit out the mixture and rinse out with water.

Reducing infection in your mouth helps reduce stress on your other organs, such as your heart and gut as well!