A beautiful, healthy smile that lasts a lifetime is our ultimate goal. Your personal home care plays a significant role in achieving that goal. Your personal home care starts with eating balanced meals, reducing the number of snacks, and correctly using the various dental aids that help control the plaque and bacteria that cause dental disease.
Tooth brushing
Brush your teeth at least twice a day (especially before going to bed at night) with an ADA approved soft bristle brush and toothpaste.
How to brush your teeth properly:
- Place the brush at a 45 degree angle to the gums and gently brush using a small, circular motion, ensuring that you always feel the bristles on the gums.
- Brush the outer, inner, and biting surfaces of each tooth.
- Use the tip of the brush to clean the inside of the front teeth.
- Brush your tongue to remove bacteria and freshen your breath. We recommend the Tongue Sweeper.
- Electric toothbrushes are also recommended. We recommend the Sonicare and the Oral-B motorized brush. Both are easy to use and can remove plaque efficiently (40% more efficient than a manual brush). Simply place the bristles of the electric brush on your gums and teeth and allow the brush to do its job, several teeth at a time.
- Brush your teeth for a minimum of 2 minutes.
Flossing
Daily flossing is the best way to clean between the teeth and under the gumline. Flossing not only helps clean these spaces, it disrupts plaque colonies from building up, preventing damage to the gums, teeth, and bone.
- Take 12-16 inches (30-40cm) of dental floss and wrap it around your middle fingers, leaving about 2 inches (5cm) of floss between the hands.
- Using your thumbs and forefingers to guide the floss, gently insert the floss between teeth using a sawing motion.
- Curve the floss into a “C” shape around each tooth and under the gumline. Gently move the floss up and down, cleaning the side of each tooth.
- Floss holders, interdental tips or brushes and irrigation devices (we recommend the Waterpik line of products) are all recommended if you have difficulty using conventional floss.
Rinsing
It is important to rinse your mouth with water after brushing and after meals if you are unable to brush. If you are using an over-the-counter product for rinsing, it’s a good idea to consult with your dentist or dental hygienist on which product is appropriate for you.