Keeping our teeth healthy and bright throughout our lives requires a consistent oral hygiene routine. Further, these practices must be done correctly so we benefit most from our oral health practice. Proper oral hygiene practices start with a twice-a-day brushing habit, are paired with flossing, and finish with a good mouthwash. In addition, specific techniques involved with brushing and flossing make all the difference in preventing decay. Southhill Comprehensive Dentistry is happy to present this oral hygiene guide to its patients to help them improve their oral hygiene care outcomes.
Southhill Comprehensive Dentistry’s Complete Guide To Dental Care
Keeping up with a habit can seem nearly impossible, even when critically important. Oral hygiene is one habit most people are relatively good at maintaining. However, even when done every day and night as it should be, you may not get the most out of it. Ensuring that your oral hygiene practice is effective requires learning and using specific techniques to ensure brushing and flossing work at their best. It all begins with a simple choice, pick products for your oral hygiene that contain fluoride. This mineral strengthens enamel and restores it when it becomes weakened. However, it can’t restore lost enamel.
Use these tips when brushing to make sure you get the most out of it:
- Take your time when you brush; it should take no less than 2 minutes to be thorough.
- Keep your brush angled at 45 degrees throughout. This makes sure that the bristles get beneath the edge of the gums.
- Each tooth needs to get sufficient attention for your routine to be effective. The back teeth are the most often missed.
- Brush twice each day; it’s critical to keeping your teeth protected from decay and your gums free of gum disease.
The next step is flossing your teeth. To be effective, you have to get every tooth and hold the floss taut against the contours of your tooth. You can use the strand floss that comes in the flip-top case or get a dental floss holder to make it easier. You can also find floss in natural materials such as mulberry silk. You want to get every tooth and use a clear rinse to get rid of the food debris and plaque you pull out. A minute-long rinse with mouthwash is the perfect capstone to this process.
Final Notes From The Team At Southhill Comprehensive Dentistry
Watch for tenderness, redness, or bleeding during your brushing and flossing. These are all signs that you may be battling gum disease. If caught in its earliest stage, gingivitis, it’s fairly easy to turn back the tide. So be vigilant. Your final important step is keeping up with your bi-annual dental visits. If it’s nearing or past the six-month mark from your last visit, call Dr. Ulysses Vargas at (509) 747-8779 to schedule an appointment at our office in Spokane, WA. We look forward to hearing from you and help you get started on a lifelong journey of good oral health.
