You should clean your teeth morning and evening with a small headed, soft toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. In addition, it is important to use dental floss or other inter-dental cleaners between all of your teeth and where the tooth meets the gum.
Brushing alone will not effectively and thoroughly clean your teeth.
We recommend the following for good oral hygiene:
- Brush your teeth twice a day with high-quality fluoride toothpaste
- Children should also clean their teeth after eating their after – school snack, therefore 3 times a day
- Clean between teeth daily with floss or an inter-dental cleaner. Decay–causing bacteria still linger between teeth where toothbrush bristles can not reach. Interdental cleaning removes plaque and food particles from between the teeth and under the gum line
- Eat a balanced diet and limit between-meal snacks
- Visit your dentist and hygienist regularly for professional cleanings and oral exams
Replace your toothbrush every 6 – 8 weeks or sooner if the bristles become frayed. A worn toothbrush will not do a good job of cleaning your teeth. Children’s toothbrushes often need replacing more frequently than adults because they wear out sooner.
Importance of cleaning in-between your teeth
Although the space or gap between your teeth conceals approximately only 40% of the tooth surface, it is this area that accounts for 80% of the problems. By cleaning this area effectively, you have a huge advantage in stopping decay and gum disease. Problems here can be serious because they often go unnoticed. By cleaning the gap, you not only reduce your chance of dangerous decay, root canal treatments and dental crowns, but you reduce your likelihood of serious gum and bone disease by a significant margin.
What are interdental brushes?
Interdental brushes are inserted into the spaces between the teeth to clean difficult areas. They are sometimes used as an alternative to floss and sometimes as well as floss. Interdental brushes are much easier to use, especially under bridges. They can also be used under orthodontic wires or between teeth that can’t be flossed and anywhere a toothbrush cannot reach.
How to Brush
- Place the bristles at a 45 degree angle to the teeth
- Brush with a gentle circular motion so that any plaque growing under the gum will be removed
- Brush the inside surfaces of the upper and lower teeth by tilting the brush vertically and making several small up and down strokes with the front part of the toothbrush
- Be sure to brush the outside, the tongue side and the chewing surfaces of all of your teeth
Flossing Technique
- First, take a piece of floss about 30cm in length
- Wind the floss around your 2 middle fingers and grasp 1/2 inch of floss tightly between your thumbs and forefingers
- Insert the floss between your teeth carefully
- Hold the floss taught and curve it around one side of the tooth
- Move the floss up and down against one tooth and then the other
The main purpose is to remove the film of plaque on your teeth, not just food particles - Using a new part of the floss, continue flossing, even tooth surfaces, which have no tooth next to them
- Rinse your mouth thoroughly to remove any loosened particles
Call (08) 8212 6335 today to book an oral hygiene check up at our Adelaide dental clinic.