A beautiful and healthy smile is our ultimate goal when treating patients. Your home care plays an important role in achieving this goal. Home care starts with nutrition. Reducing the number of snacks and sugary beverages helps control plaque and bacteria build up to provide a healthy smile. Home care also includes knowing how to correctly brush and floss your teeth. Brushing your teeth should happen twice a day for two minutes, especially before going to bed at night, with an American Dental Association approved soft bristle brush and toothpaste.
To correctly brush your teeth whether a conventional tooth brush or an electric tooth brush, the brush should be angled at 45 degrees to the gums, and gently move in small circular motions. All surfaces of the tooth and surrounding gums should be brushed as well as your tongue, to remove any bacteria and achieve a fresh breath.
Flossing daily is the best way to clean in between teeth and reach surfaces below the gumline. Flossing prevents plaque from accumulating and damaging the gums, teeth and bone. Floss gently in a curved “C” shape around each tooth and under the gumline for best results.
Proper brushing and flossing is essential to prevent tooth decay, periodontal disease, halitosis, and staining.
- Tooth decay is one of the leading causes of tooth loss. Tooth decay occurs when acids from bacteria found in plaque build up erode the enamel tooth surface.
- Periodontal disease is a serious condition that progresses overtime and can cause tooth loss, gum recession and bone recession. Periodontal disease can also lead to other serious systemic health problems.
- Halitosis, or bad breath, is caused by food particles on or in between teeth. Food particles can easily be removed with the proper brushing and flossing technique, leaving the breath smelling fresher.
- Staining on teeth can be cause by several things such as coffee, tea, red wine and smoking. The more frequently these stains are removed by brushing and flossing the less likely they are to be permanent.
