Home Care

While regular dental checkups will go a long way toward maintaining a beautiful, healthy set of teeth, so too will a good personal home care routine.  Dental home care involves taking care of your overall health, eating balanced meals and limiting snacks.  In addition, regular tooth brushing, flossing and rinsing will help to reduce the presence of plaque and bacteria, both of which can lead to the development of dental diseases.

 

Tooth Brushing

 

It's important to brush your teeth at least twice each day.  It's particularly important to ensure that you brush before going to bed.  It's recommended that you use either an ADA approved brush with soft bristles or an electric toothbrush.  To brush your teeth effectively, follow these steps:

 

  • For an electric toothbrush, place the bristles over your teeth and gums and turn the brush on, allowing it to work over several teeth at once.
  • For a non-electric toothbrush, place the toothbrush at a 45° angle to your gums and use a gentle, circular motion as you brush.
  • Ensure that you brush all surfaces of each tooth, including the inner, outer and biting surfaces.
  • Finally, brush your tongue.  This will help to remove bacteria and to keep your breath fresh.

 

Flossing

 

Flossing everyday is the best way to remove and prevent the build-up of plaque and food debris from between the teeth and below the gumline.  Daily flossing plays a very important role in the prevention of tooth and gum damage and disease.

 

  • Use approximately 12-16 inches or 30-40 cm of dental floss each time you floss.
  • Wrap the length of dental floss around your middle fingers so that approximately 2 inches or 5 cm remains between your hands.
  • Use a gentle sawing motion to move the dental floss down between your teeth, directing the floss with your thumbs and four fingers.
  • Curve the dental floss around each tooth, gently moving it up and down to clean beneath the gumline as well as along the side of each tooth.

 

Rinsing

 

You should always rinse your mouth with water after brushing.  Rinsing with water is also very important after meals when you are not able to brush your teeth.  Over-the-counter dental rinses and other dental aids (medicated rinses, tongue cleaners, etc) can be recommended for you by your Brentwood dentist or dental hygienist.