Oral Hygiene

The overall health of your beautiful teeth and smile depends on a few simple yet effective dental care habits. These include brushing, flossing, drinking plenty of water, and eating the right food. When it comes to brushing especially, technique is critical.

Make sure you are following the steps and using the correct techniques in brushing and flossing.

Brushing Your Teeth

We all know that to maintain your oral health brushing your teeth is mandatory. It helps in keeping your gums and teeth clean, thereby preventing gum disease, plaque and cavities. But did you know that there are few basics that you need to consider in relation to brushing your teeth?

Brush At Least Twice A Day: Learn the right technique to brush your teeth. If you are unsure, ask your dentist. Do not rush when you are brushing, instead take at least two minutes to brush thoroughly. Never brush your teeth immediately after eating, especially after having some acidic food or drink.
Clean Your Tongue: While brushing your teeth, do not forget to clean your tongue every time. Your tongue harbours bacteria, which can damage your gums and teeth. So use a toothbrush or invest in a tongue scraper.
Use The Right Equipment: Use a soft-bristled toothbrush that fits in your mouth perfectly and apply fluoride toothpaste. If possible invest in a battery-operated or electric toothbrush. It can help you in staving off the mild gum diseases and plaque compared to manual brushing.
Have Correct technique: When brushing your teeth, hold the toothbrush at an angle, so the bristles are in the area where your gums meet the tooth. Brush in a short circular motion, going back-and-forth. Never brush too hard or with hard bristles, as it will hurt the gums. Remember to brush the inside, outside and top surface of your teeth.
Keep Your Toothbrush Clean: Rinse your toothbrush and tongue scraper (if you have one) properly every time after use. Store them in an upright position and air-dry them. Keep each toothbrush separate in a holder if possible, so there is less risk of cross-contamination. Avoid putting the toothbrushes in a closed container or covering them up, as it will lead to the growth of bacteria, yeast and mould in them.
Replace Them Periodically: Replace your toothbrush or toothbrush head (if electric) every three months. If the bristles become irregular or frayed before three months you can replace them earlier.

Floss To Maintain Oral Health

We know that flossing is as important as brushing in maintaining overall oral health. Flossing helps in reaching the tight areas between the teeth and gums that toothbrush fails to get to. So when you floss observe the following:

Don’t Skimp: If you are using a flossing thread, do not skimp. Take out about 45cm of floss, wind most of the thread around the middle fingers of your two hands. Grip it properly and tightly between your forefingers and thumbs of your two hands. Then go with a back and forth, up-and-down motion between your teeth.
Be Gentle: Be gentle with the thread and go in a rubbing motion. Be careful when you reach your gums with the floss and never snap them into it. Make a ‘c’ shape near the gum line, curve it against a tooth and rub it.
One Tooth at a Time: Once you slide the floss between your gum and tooth gently rub the sides. Floss one tooth at a time and unwind the floss from your fingers as you progress with the teeth.
Look Into Flossing Options: If you find it difficult to floss using the thread, you can invest in other types of flosses like a dental pick, tiny brushing flosses that reach between your teeth, pre-threaded flosser or a water flosser.

Other Oral Hygiene Tips

Apart from brushing and flossing, there are a few additional tips that you should follow to maintain your oral health:

Use a fluoride-based mouthwash regularly
Avoid using toothpicks or objects that can injure your gums
Quit smoking
Drink plenty of water
Munch on crunchy fruits and vegetables
Avoid sugary and acidic food or drink
Chew on sugarless gums

Visit Your Dentist Regularly

We recommend that you visit your dentist every six months and get your teeth checked and cleaned. In case you have any of the following signs or symptoms, contact your dentist immediately:

Gums that are red, tender or swollen
Bleeding from gums when you brush or floss
Gums starting to pull away from your tooth
Losing a permanent tooth
Unusual sensitivity to your tooth and gums
Unusual taste or persistent bad breath in your mouth
Pains when you chew

These symptoms may be signs of a serious dental issue. A good dentist can prevent them with early detection, thus helping you maintain good oral health.

To maintain proper oral hygiene and ensure great oral health, contact us at Chats Dental today for your check-up. In case you require additional treatment, you can also try our Painless Dentistry.

Oral Hygiene Treatment

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