WANT a perfect smile? Try this quiz and see if you know enough about oral care to get what you desire.

(1). The firmer the bristles on your toothbrush, the cleaner your teeth will be.
a. True
b. False

The best bristles for brushing are soft ones. In fact, stiff bristles can do more harm than good since they’re more likely to injure gums and wear away your enamel (your teeth’s protective coating). Dental plaque is just as soft as jelly, so why want to use a stiff-bristled brush to remove it?

(2). The most important time to brush is in the morning.
a. True
b. False

At night, when we don’t swallow as often, our saliva is less able to wash away plaque that might be doing its dastardly work on or between our teeth. That’s why you don’t want to sleep with any plaque buildup on your teeth. So, the best time to brush is just before going to bed at night.

(3). You should change your toothbrush at least once a month.
a. True
b. False

You should invest in a new toothbrush whenever the bristles start to curve outwards. Scraggly bristles can’t get hard-to-reach places, so they leave behind cavity-causing food and germs. Therefore, the time to change your toothbrush depends on the condition of the bristles and not the period of usage.

(4). The proper motion to use when brushing your teeth is:
a. up and down
b. back and forth
c. a circular motion
d. all of the above

Brushing in a circular motion is the best way to clean teeth and the least damaging. Other methods can cause wear and tear on gums, possibly causing them to bleed and recede. Brushing in a circular motion sweeps plaque in hard-to-reach places away from the teeth, while brushing back and forth, or up and down, doesn’t remove hidden plaque adequately.

(5). A dirty tongue can cause bad breath.
a. True
b. False

A major cause of bad breath is bacteria on your tongue. The best tool for removing these stale smells is a tongue scraper, but brushing your tongue with a toothbrush and toothpaste will do the trick.

(6). You should always floss before you brush.
a. True
b. False
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 plaque 24 hours to form on your teeth. Flossing reaches the areas between your teeth that your toothbrush misses.

(7) All the over-the-counter whitening toothpastes readily work.
a. True
b. False

Whitening toothpastes are not bleaches, so they won’t turn your teeth white. But they do contain some ingredients that can lighten teeth a little by attacking surface stains.