Home Care
– Tooth brushing
– Flossing
– Rinsing
A Dental Home Care Overview
A beautiful, healthy smile that lasts a lifetime is our ultimate goal when treating patients. Your personal home care plays an important role in achieving that goal. Basically, your personal home care starts by eating balanced meals, reducing the number of snacks you eat, and correctly using the various dental aids that help control the plaque and bacteria. If plaque and bacteria are uncontrolled, you can face a myriad of problematic dental diseases.
Here are some important reminders about your dental home care activities:
Tooth brushing – Brush your teeth at least twice a day (especially before going to bed at night) with an ADA approved soft bristle brush and toothpaste.
- Place the brush at a 45 degree angle to the gums and gently brush using a small, circular motion, ensuring that you always feel the bristles on the gums.
- Brush the outer, inner, and biting surfaces of each tooth.
- Use the tip of the brush to clean the inside of the front teeth.
- Brush your tongue to remove bacteria and freshen your breath.
Electric toothbrushes are also recommended. They are easy to use and can remove plaque efficiently. Simply place the bristles of the electric brush on your gums and teeth and allow the brush to do its job, several teeth at a time.
Flossing – Daily flossing is the best way to clean between the teeth and under the gumline. Flossing not only helps clean these spaces, it disrupts plaque colonies from building up, preventing damage to the gums, teeth, and bone.
- Take 12-16 inches (30-40cm) of dental floss and wrap it around your middle fingers, leaving about 2 inches (5cm) of floss between the hands.
- Using your thumbs and forefingers to guide the floss, gently insert the floss between teeth using a sawing motion.
- Curve the floss into a “C” shape around each tooth and under the gumline. Gently move the floss up and down, cleaning the side of each tooth.
Floss holders are recommended if you have difficulty using conventional floss. You can also try using water flossers but they tend to be more expensive. Water flossers rely on a continuous flow of water to remove plaque and food debris.
Rinsing – It is important to rinse your mouth with water after brushing, and also after meals if you are unable to brush. If you are using an over-the-counter product for rinsing, it’s a good idea to consult with your dentist or dental hygienist on its appropriateness for you.
Use other dental aids as recommended by your dentist or dental hygienist: Interdental brushes, rubber tip stimulators, tongue cleaners, irrigation devices, fluoride, medicated rinses, etc., can all play a role in good dental home care. Just remember to pick the best dental aids and products in the market today. Do your homework by researching about these excellent products and gathering online recommendations.
Final Notes Regarding Dental Home Care
You must consider remarkable oral health as your personal investment. If you have an awesome smile, you confidence will gain a massive boost and people will like to be with you more. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars! Starting with the right habit and sticking to it will make a big difference in the long run. So if you begin today, your future self will be totally grateful!
Lancaster Dental will give you the proper dental home care advice. Contact us today to know more, or if you want to schedule a dental appointment!