Brushing and flossing your teeth is essential to good oral health. Just a simple routine of brushing and flossing, in addition to regular dental checkups, can be enough in most cases to help prevent tooth decay, gum disease and halitosis (bad breath).
Tooth brushing tips and technique:
Here are a few tips to help you develop a good brushing routine:
– Use soft or extra soft toothbrush when brushing your teeth. Small-headed brushes are recommended since they can better reach all areas of the mouth, including hard-to-reach back teeth.
– Brush three times a day (ideally after every main meal).- Proper brushing takes at least two minutes. Time yourself when doing your tooth brushing.
– Use a gentle touch – it doesn’t take much pressure to remove the biofilm (bacterial plaque) from your teeth, and a forceful brushing could irritate your gums.
– Electric toothbrushes can aid in applying an adequate amount of pressure when brushing, particularly for those who have difficulty doing it, who are wearing braces and who have limited manual dexterity.
– Brushing your tongue gently can help remove bacteria that cause halitosis (bad breath) by using a tongue cleaner.
– Toothbrushes should be replaced every 3 months since the bristles wear away.
Brushing technique:
– Clean the outer surfaces of your upper teeth, then your lower teeth.
– Clean the inner surfaces of your upper teeth, then your lower teeth.
– Clean the chewing surfaces.
– Place your brush at a slight angle toward the gums when brushing along the gum line.
– Concentrate on cleaning all the surfaces of the teeth.- Make sure to brush your tongue.
The importance of flossing:
Cleaning between your teeth is every bit as important as brushing.
– Since brushing can’t effectively clean between teeth, it’s important to use floss to get to those areas in order to mechanically remove the biofilm (bacterial plaque) that forms in between your teeth.
– Floss your teeth at least once a day.
– As with brushing, use a gentle touch to avoid injuring your gum tissue.
Dr Sharp Natural Oral Care Products include soft and extra soft toothbrushes, a tongue cleaner, green tea mint dental tape, fresh mint mouthwash, green tea and fresh mint whitening toothpaste, and a strawberry cream kids toothpaste.
For more information about our office visit www.sharpdentistry.com or call (305) 857-0990 for a consultation with Dr. Sharp.