Oral Health C.J. Henley Oral Health C.J. Henley

National Dental Hygiene Month: 5 Daily Habits for Healthy Teeth

Five practical oral hygiene habits for Jacksonville patients: gentle brushing, cleaning between teeth, fluoride toothpaste, and regular dental visits.

October is National Dental Hygiene Month, led by the American Dental Hygienists' Association. [5] The habits that matter most are simple: brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, clean between your teeth once a day, limit how often you snack on sugar and starch, and keep up with checkups and cleanings. Mouthwash can help some people, but it's optional.

1. Brush twice a day for two minutes

Use a soft-bristled brush and fluoride toothpaste, and spend about 30 seconds on each quarter of your mouth. [1, 2] Replace your brush or brush head every three or four months, or sooner if the bristles are frayed. [1] Our guide to brushing correctly walks through the technique.

2. Clean between your teeth once a day

A toothbrush doesn't reach well into the spaces between teeth, where plaque collects and where gum inflammation and cavities often start. Floss, interdental brushes and water flossers all count. A 2019 Cochrane review found that adding floss or interdental brushes to brushing may reduce gum inflammation, with interdental brushes possibly doing a little better than floss. [3] The ADA's advice is to use the method you'll actually keep doing. [2] Our post on dental myths covers the flossing debate.

3. Use mouthwash only if it helps you

Mouthwash isn't a replacement for brushing and cleaning between your teeth. A therapeutic rinse, such as one with fluoride or an antibacterial ingredient, can help some people, for example those with a high cavity risk or gum inflammation. A cosmetic rinse only freshens breath for a while. [4] Ask us whether a rinse makes sense for you. If your mouth runs dry, choose an alcohol-free one.

4. Snack less often

Every time you eat or sip something with sugar or starch, plaque bacteria make acid for a while afterward. Frequent snacking and sipping sweet drinks through the day keep your teeth under acid attack, while meals with gaps between them give saliva time to recover. Water between meals helps. Our post on foods for healthy teeth has more.

5. Keep up with checkups and cleanings

Professional cleanings remove hardened tartar that brushing can't, and exams catch cavities and gum disease while they are small and often painless. Your dentist and hygienist can tell you how often you need to come in based on your own risk.

Ready for a checkup?

Our hygiene team and I see patients at 3675 Hendricks Avenue, near San Marco. New-patient visits are about two hours, normally an hour with me and an hour in hygiene. Learn more on our new patients page, call 904-398-1549 or contact us.

Sources

  1. American Dental Association, MouthHealthy. Brushing your teeth. Accessed October 6, 2026.
  2. American Dental Association. Home oral care. Accessed October 6, 2026.
  3. Worthington HV, MacDonald L, Poklepovic Pericic T, et al. Home use of interdental cleaning devices, in addition to toothbrushing, for preventing and controlling periodontal diseases and dental caries. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019;4(4):CD012018. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012018.pub2 (retrieved via PubMed)
  4. American Dental Association, MouthHealthy. Mouthwash. Accessed October 6, 2026.
  5. American Dental Hygienists' Association. National Dental Hygiene Month 2026. Accessed October 6, 2026.

About the author. CJ Henley, DMD, is a general dentist in Jacksonville whose practice focuses on cosmetic and restorative dentistry, dental implants and dental care around head and neck cancer. Meet Dr. Henley.
CJ Henley, DMD, PA · 3675 Hendricks Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32207 · 904-398-1549
Updated October 2026.

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Dental Research C.J. Henley Dental Research C.J. Henley

Does Vaping Cause Gum Disease?

New studies highlight how e-cigarettes alter oral health and may be contributing to gum disease. The latest research finds that e-cigarette users have a unique oral microbiome that is less healthy than nonsmokers but potentially healthier than cigarette smokers, and measures worsening gum disease over time.

Vaping hasn't been proven to cause gum disease, but the evidence is moving in that direction. A study from NYU College of Dentistry found that people who vape carry a mix of gum bacteria and inflammation signals that looks more like a smoker's mouth than a nonsmoker's, and gum health worsened in some vapers over six months. Vaping is not a safe alternative for your gums, and if you vape, your dentist should know.

What did the NYU study do?

Researchers followed 84 adults in three groups: cigarette smokers, e-cigarette users and people who had never smoked. Each person had two gum exams six months apart. At each visit, the team measured gum health, collected plaque from below the gumline to identify the bacteria living there, and measured immune proteins (cytokines) that drive inflammation. [1]

What did it find?

  • Everyone started with some gum disease. Smokers had the most severe disease, then vapers, then nonsmokers.

  • Vapers had their own bacterial mix. Their gum bacteria shared many features with smokers' and some with nonsmokers', but formed a distinct community, including higher levels of some bacteria associated with gum disease. [1]

  • Inflammation looked different. Vapers had different cytokine levels from the other groups, which the researchers interpreted as an altered immune response in the gums. [1]

  • Gum health worsened in some participants in every group over six months, including several vapers. According to NYU's press release, a companion paper found that loss of gum attachment to the teeth worsened significantly only in the vapers. [2]

What are the limits?

  • It was small. 84 people is enough to spot patterns, not to settle the question.

  • Six months is short. Gum disease develops over years.

  • It is observational. People who vape may differ from nonsmokers in other ways, and some vapers are former smokers.

  • Vaping products vary widely in nicotine and other ingredients.

Why might vaping affect your gums?

Nicotine narrows blood vessels and can affect how gums respond to infection and heal. E-cigarette aerosol also contains chemicals and flavorings that change the environment of the mouth. The NYU work suggests these changes favor bacteria linked to gum disease. Researchers are still working out the details.

What should you do if you vape?

  • Tell your dentist. It changes what we look for.

  • Watch for bleeding gums, recession, bad breath or loose teeth.

  • Keep up brushing, cleaning between your teeth and regular dental visits.

  • Consider quitting. For help, talk with your physician or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW, the free national quitline.

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research lists e-cigarettes among the tobacco products that raise oral cancer risk, so an oral cancer exam matters too. [3]

Where can you get your gums checked in Jacksonville?

A comprehensive dental exam at our office includes a full gum evaluation. For other ways gum health connects to the rest of the body, see can gum disease affect your overall health? To schedule, contact us or call 904-398-1549.

Sources

  1. Thomas SC, Xu F, Pushalkar S, et al. Electronic cigarette use promotes a unique periodontal microbiome. mBio. 2022;13(1):e0007522. doi:10.1128/mbio.00075-22 (retrieved via PubMed)

  2. American Society for Microbiology. Evidence grows for vaping's role in gum disease. Press release, February 2022 (originally issued by NYU College of Dentistry).

  3. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Oral cancer. Retrieved October 6, 2026.

About the author. CJ Henley, DMD, is a general dentist in Jacksonville whose practice focuses on cosmetic and restorative dentistry, dental implants and dental care around head and neck cancer. Meet Dr. Henley.
CJ Henley, DMD, PA · 3675 Hendricks Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32207 · 904-398-1549
Updated October 2026.

Read More