Dental Home Care
Dental Home Care
Personal dental home care plays a very important role in achieving a healthy and terrific looking smile. Dental home care starts by eating regular, balanced, meals. It continues with reducing the number of snacks and, most importantly, the correct use of home dental aids to help control plaque and bacteria which cause dental diseases. Proper flossing and brushing prevents tooth decay, gum disease, halitosis (often caused by old food particles on or between teeth) and tooth staining.
- Floss at least once a day !!!
- Daily flossing is the best way to clean between the teeth and under the gumline.
- Flossing blocks plaque colonies from building up, thus preventing damage to teeth, gums and bone.
- Flossing instructions:
- Wrap about 16” of floss around your middle fingers, leaving 2 to 3 inches of floss between hands.
- Use a back and forth motion to guide the floss between your teeth, using your thumbs and/or forefingers to guide the floss.
- Curve the floss in a “C” shape so that it wraps as much as possibly around the tooth and use a gentle up and down motion to go from under the gumline to the tip of the tooth.
- If you have difficulty using conventional floss, use a floss holder.
- Brush your teeth 2 or 3 times a day, especially before going to bed, using a soft bristle brush and toothpaste.
- Place brush at 45 degree angle so the tips of the bristles are placed on the gumline (between gum and tooth).
- Use small circular motions to brush gums and teeth. Do not scrub or apply heavy pressure.
- Brush every surface of every tooth, cheek or lip side, and tongue side.
- Brush chewing surfaces using back and forth motion with your brush. Brush all chewing surfaces, especially the ones at the back teeth.
- Brush tongue to remove food and bacteria.