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Oral Hygiene Instructions
Daily oral hygiene is necessary to maintain a healthy smile and prevent
tooth decay and periodontal disease. Here are a few tips on technique
and the type of oral care products to purchase to help you. Keep in
mind that any products you purchase should have the American Dental
Association’s (ADA) Seal of Acceptance displayed on them. This
ensures that the product has met the ADA’s criteria for safety
and effectiveness. (For more information go to the ADA website at www.ada.org).
Brush: Twice a Day.
It’s important to brush your teeth a minimum of 2 times a day
to remove plaque and debris or as your health professional recommends.
- Toothbrush
- Standard:
Choose a toothbrush with soft nylon bristles. Most people find a small-to-medium
toothbrush head more comfortable and easier to manipulate in your mouth.
Your toothbrush should be replaced when the brush begins to lose its
shape and the bristles become frayed, no less than every three months.
- Electric:
The advantage of using an electric toothbrush is that, in general, it
does a better job. The high-speed movement may disrupt the bacterial
plaque more effectively. Choose an ADA accredited product such as Sonicare,
Oral-B or Crest.
- Toothpaste
Choose a toothpaste containing fluoride, approved by the
ADA, to help prevent tooth decay.
- Technique
- Hold the brush at a slight angle where your teeth and gum
tissue meet and brush both the inside and outside surfaces
of your teeth.
- Move the brush gently back and forth in a small circular
motion. To reach the inside surfaces of your front teeth, tilt
your brush vertically and use gentle up and down strokes with
the head of your toothbrush. Be sure to brush the chewing surfaces
of your teeth.
- After you have brushed all the surfaces of all your teeth,
use your brush to brush your tongue to help remove bacteria
that can cause bad breath.
- Effective brushing usually takes 3-4 minutes.
- Rinse your brush after each use.
Floss: Once a day.
It’s important to floss every day to clean the areas that your
toothbrush cannot reach.
Technique
- Use a piece of dental floss approximately 18 inches long.
- Wind each end of the floss around your middle fingers, leaving
about a 2-inch length between them.
- Hold the floss tightly between your thumbs and forefingers and
slide the floss between two teeth.
- When the floss is at the gumline, curve it around one tooth and
then move it up and down against the tooth’s surface, making
sure the floss goes under the gum tissue as low as it will go.
- Move the floss up and down several times to remove plaque under
the gum tissue.
- Repeat this procedure on each tooth.
Rinse with antiseptic mouthrinse: Twice a day.
- Use an antiseptic mouthrinse such as Listerine Antiseptic Mouthrinse
to help kill bacteria in your mouth.
- Use a periodontal rinse to help prevent plaque that leads to gingivitis
and the formation of sulfur compounds which cause bad breath. Use
as recommended by your health professional.
Diet:
- A healthy balanced diet helps prevent tooth decay and periodontal
disease.
- Limit between-meal snacks and avoid carbonated soft drinks (See
Minnesota Dental Associations article “Sip All Day, Get Decay” at
www.mndental.org) and soft sticky foods that can cling to your teeth.
- If you snack or drink carbonated soft drinks and are not able to
brush afterwards, rinse your mouth thoroughly with water.
Questions?
Should you have any questions, please call our office, Interlachen
Dental Associates, at 952-920-9579. |
