Teeth Care

Home Care

Brushing:
How often?- At least two times a day or after meals.
How long?-For 2 minutes dividing time equally to all the teeth.
Type of toothbrush?- Soft bristle tooth brushes are best. Medium and hard bristled brushes can lead to recession (root exposure) due to the abbrasiveness.
How do you brush?- At a 45 degree angle to the gum and tooth in circular strokes rather than a back and forth motion which can also lead to recession.

Flossing:
How often? -At least one time a day before bed is best. Salivary flow decreases when we sleep. Saliva aids in washing away some of the bacteria in our mouths and acts as a buffer from bacteria when we are awake. When saliva flow decreases we need to protect our teeth and gums by cutting down the number of bacteria present by good home care.
Why is flossing important?- Not only does it remove plaque and bacteria between the teeth where your tooth brush cannot reach, it also goes under the gums about 3mm. Your toothbrush can only reach about 1mm under the gum. That is why a pocket (the space where the tissue and tooth connect) of 3mm's or less is considered healthy because you can maintain it at home with brushing and flossing.
What is proper flossing techinque?-Take the floss at an angle rather than straight on between the teeth and saw between the contact to avoid popping through the contact too hard. Once through the contact wrap the floss aroung the tooth as far as you can go (this is called "c" wrapping). Slide the floss down until you feel a rubber band like resistance, then, slide the floss up again until the floss is coming out clear.