Maintaining good oral hygiene should be one of the top priorities in your overall health, as dental problems can be painful, annoying, and can lead to other, more serious issues. Although you may be a regular twice a day brusher, very few of us actually brush our teeth as well as we should be. Thankfully, where there are mistakes, there are ways to fix them. Here is the 101 on how to brush your teeth properly.
The Brush - Although it seems like hard bristles would clean your teeth better, soft bristles are much better. Scrubbing your teeth with too hard of a toothbrush can actually wear down your teeth! Cleaning throughly with a soft-bristle toothbrush, and replacing your brush on a regular basis are the keys to a good brush.
The front teeth – First, you’ll want to hold your brush at a 45 degree angle and place it to where the gum and teeth meet. The keyword to scrubbing is “gently.” Gently stroke each tooth with circular motions several times before moving on to the next. We recommend that you invest in a sonicare toothbrush as it does much of the work for you; from letting you know when too much pressure is added to the proper amount of time spent brushing your teeth.
The inner jaw – The same tactic applies here. The difference comes in with the upper and lower front teeth. With those, you’ll want to adjust your brush vertically and stroke each backside along their surfaces as well as the surrounding gum areas.
The biting surface – With, once again, gentle strokes, you’ll want to move your brush along the biting surface of your upper and lower jaw. Adjust your angle accordingly to minimize discomfort while brushing.
Floss – Your brush can’t reach everywhere. Grab a 18 inch long floss line, insert it between each tooth, and create a C shape with each tooth side. Do not forget about the back sides of the upper or lower teeth. Try to get in the habit of flossing before brushing your teeth as the task will already be accomplished in case you may be running late or have other priorities.
Finally, you’ll want to rinse in order to lose the loosened plaque that most likely came off during the brushing process.
Brushing and flossing properly will reduce the need for major oral surgery. However, a professional cleaning is always needed to keep your teeth sparkling. Jim Peck, DDS offers safe and thorough procedures and examinations. Make an appointment when you give us a call at: 830-629-8011.
