MILWAUKEE — From an early age, Adam Fraeyman knew he wanted to be a dentist. Now, he’s less than a year from graduating from Marquette University School of Dentistry. He said he's excited to start his career. 

“I went into dentistry because in my opinion it’s the one health care field where you can help someone’s physical and mental well-being at the same time,” Fraeyman said.

Fraeyman said the health of your mouth is essential to your well-being throughout life.

“The oral cavity is the gateway into the rest of the body,” he said. “It’s really important to keep those areas clean, because the areas that congregate in your mouth can lead to […] systemic issues later down the road and to the rest of your body.” 

He said it’s important to brush, floss and visit your dentist twice a year. That’s the first line of defense to keeping your whole system healthy.

“Really get in between the teeth and get a nice professional cleaning. The paste we use has a fluoride in it which makes your teeth stronger,” he said. 

Fraeyman has a method he recommends when it’s time to brush your teeth. 

“Most of the bacteria actually like to hangout in between the teeth and into the gum tissue,” Fraeyman said. “Spend 30 seconds per quadrant here. Circular motion […] at the gum line, spend a couple seconds on each tooth, then move on to the next one.”

Dr. Pradeep Bhagavaula is a dental professor at Marquette University. He said he reminds everyone to not just focus on your teeth and gums.

“There’s a lot of bacteria, dead bacteria, that deposit on your tongue. So, it’s important every time you brush you have a tongue scraper or a tongue cleaner and try to clean it off,” Bhagavaula said. 

Both Bhagavaula and Fraeyman said to limit your soda intake.  

“The pH and the acidity [of soda] really drive those bacteria to really multiply and adhere to your teeth,” Fraeyman said. 

For children, they recommend counting to 100 while your child brushes their teeth.