Correctly brushing your teeth is one of the most important ways to keep your mouth healthy. Brushing properly and with the right frequency can help you prevent problems before they appear. There are four things to help you brush your teeth correctly. They include: a toothbrush with soft bristles, toothpaste with fluoride, the correct angle of brushing, and a concise brushing pattern.
The following tips to help you get the most out of your brushing.
- It is important to brush at least twice a day, after breakfast and before bed.
- You should use a toothbrush with soft bristles. Soft bristles with rounded tips are gentler on your teeth and gums. They also make it easier to remove plaque below the gum line where periodontal disease begins.
- Use about a small amount of toothpaste that contains fluoride. Fluoride hardens the outer enamel layer of your teeth and can stop a cavity before it worsens. The enamel provides you with more resistance to future cavities.
- Angle the brush along the gum line at a 45-degree angle and apply firm pressure so that the bristles slide under the gum line. Use a vibrating motion while you brush in short back and forth strokes and in small circular motions. Brush two or three teeth at a time and then move to the next two or three, allowing some overlap. Tilt the brush and use the tip to brush the backs of the front teeth.
Brush in any regular pattern you choose but since the insides of the teeth tend to get less attention, you might start with the insides of the upper teeth and then move to the insides of the lower teeth. Then switch to the outsides of the upper teeth and then the outsides of the lower teeth. Brush the chewing surfaces of the upper teeth, then the same on the lower teeth. Complete your routine by gently brushing your tongue and the roof of your mouth. This will remove germs that can cause bad breath.
Change your toothbrush at least every three months or when the bristles are worn or bent. Old bristles don’t clean well under the gum line and they host more plaque and disease-causing bacteria than new ones.
Sedation and Implant Dentists offer trusted, comprehensive dental care from one convenient location in Los Angeles County. Our dentists engage in ongoing continuing education to provide patients with the latest advances in dentistry including modern dental implant solutions, custom crowns and bridges and transformative 3D technology. The team at Sedation Dentists strive to ease all patients who suffer from dental anxiety, and takes pride in offering an inviting, comfortable environment for every treatment. Sedation and Implant Dentists offer IV sedation in-house as well as nitrous oxide to patients.
