Home Dental Care
Home Dental Care
Our ultimate goal is to provide our patients with a healthy and beautiful smile that lasts a lifetime. Your personal home care plays an essential role in achieving this goal. Start practicing good dental habits at home by limiting snacks, eating balanced meals, and correctly using dental aids to help control the bacteria and plaque that causes dental disease. But there’s still more. Keep reading to learn some more home dental care tips!
Tooth Brushing – Use an ADA approved soft bristle brush and toothpaste to brush your teeth twice daily. Below are some great tooth brushing tips:
- Gently brush using small, circular motions at a 45-degree angle to your gums.
- Brush the entire tooth, including the biting, inner, and outer surfaces.
- Clean the inside of the front teeth with the tip of your bush.
- Brush your tongue to keep your breath fresh and remove bacteria.
Electric toothbrushes are also very effective at removing plaque. Not to mention, they are easy to use. All you need to do is place its bristles on your teeth and gums and let the electric brush do the rest.
Flossing – The best way to clean under the gum line and between the teeth is by flossing daily. In addition to cleaning those spaces, flossing also stops plaque from building up, which prevents gum, teeth, and bone damage. Below are some more useful flossing tips:
- Wrap around 12-16 inches (30-40 cm) of dental floss around your middle fingers. Try to leave around 2 inches (5 cm) of floss between your hands.
- Use a gently sawing motion to insert the floss between your teeth while your forefingers and thumb guide the floss
- Curve the floss into a “C” shape under the gum line and around each tooth. Then, clean the side of each tooth by gently moving the floss up and down.
If you face difficulties while using conventional floss, try to utilize floss holders.
Rinsing – Rinsing your mouth with water is essential after you brush or anytime you can’t brush after eating. Don’t forget to consult with your dental hygienist or dentist if your using an over-the-counter product for rinsing.
Some other dental aids that may be recommended by your dentist or dental hygienist to help improve your dental home care include: rubber tip stimulators, interdental brushes, tongue cleaners, fluoride, medicated rinses, irrigation devices, and more.