The Basics Of Brushing & Flossing
Most adults have been taking care of their teeth for a long time and feel pretty confident in their daily routines. Surprisingly, though, many of the patients we see lack a solid understanding of basic oral hygiene techniques. That’s why it’s important to review the fundamentals every once in a while.
How to Crush The Twice-Daily Brush
Two minutes, twice a day is the formula for brushing your teeth. However, it’s a bit
more complicated than a toothbrush, some toothpaste, and one hundred and twenty seconds. Here are some guidelines to follow:
- Choose Electric: There are lots of toothbrush options on the market, but for our money, we pick the soft-bristled electric kind every time. Elective toothbrushes vibrate the bristles to give a deeper clean than even the fanciest manual toothbrush can muster.
- Take Care of Gums: Your teeth only stay in the mouth because of the gums! That may seem incredibly obvious, but a lot of adults don’t realize they also have to care for their gums. Pointing the toothbrush toward the gums and gently massaging them helps prevent gum disease and cleans the harder-to-reach areas at the bottom of the teeth.
- Use Time Wisely: Teeth need an even clean, but that’s hard to accomplish if you’re not paying attention to how and where you brush. We recommend tackling your oral hygiene section by section. Your mouth can be divided into top and bottom, and each row of teeth can be divided into three ares: top, front, and back. With six sections in total, you can now focus on each section individually for twenty seconds at a time. This focused, segmented approach gives each tooth the attention it needs.
Floss Like a Boss
A lot of people are unsure about the proper flossing technique. Some will put the floss between their teeth, pull it out, but there’s more to it. The floss needs to go under the tooth, not so much that it hurts, but just enough that it’s coming between the tooth and gum tissue. As you pull the thread out, you need to make sure it’s hugging your tooth so the floss scrapes off the plaque. Do this for both sides of each tooth, including the backs of the rear molars, and you’ll clean out most of the plaque that your toothbrush missed.
One More Thing …
For our final tip, we recommend making sure you’re on top of your preventative care routine. A visit to Elice Dental Care, located in Hazlet, NJ, at least twice a year will take care of all your checkup and cleaning needs. And while you’re here, you can ask us about the many treatments we offer to perfect your smile! Call us to schedule and appointment.
