Our ultimate goal is a healthy smile that lasts a lifetime when treating our patients. Your personal home care plays an important role in achieving that goal. Personal home care starts by eating balanced meals, reducing snacks you eat and correctly using your tooth brush, floss, picking the right toothpaste and mouth wash. Everything that will help control the plaque and bacteria that cause gum disease and dental decay.
Brushing at least twice a day with ADA approved soft bristle brush and fluoridated toothpaste for at least two minutes.
Place the brush at a 45-degree angle to the gums and gently brush using a small, circular motion, ensuring that you feel the bristles around the gums.
Brush the cheek side and tongue side and biting surfaces of each tooth
Use the tip of the brush to clean the inside of the front top and bottom teeth.
To clean your tongue you can use a tongue scrapper or brush your tongue to remove bacteria and freshen your breath with the toothbrush, some toothbrushes will have a rough backside that will help with that.
Electric toothbrushes are also recommended
Flossing – Daily flossing cleans between teeth and it also help to firm up the gum tissues around your teeth, which makes the gums more resistant to bacterial plaque and gum disease.
Take a 12- 16 inches of dental floss and wrap it around your middle finger, leaving about 2 inches of floss between the hand.
Using your thumbs and forefingers to guide the floss, gently insert the floss between teeth using a sawing motion then curve the floss into a “C” shape around each tooth, gently move the floss up and down, cleaning each side of the tooth.
Floss holders come in handy when having difficulty using conventional floss.