A Dentist’s Tips For Proper Dental Hygiene
It goes without saying that the foundation for good dental health is proper oral and dental hygiene. Simply brushing your teeth and flossing in between them twice every day can go a long way to extending the lifespan of your permanent teeth. However, it also requires that you regularly visit your dentist on a bi-annual basis. The following is a list of helpful dental hygiene tips that we provide our clients with at Community Dental Group.
- Brush two times a day for a minimum of two minutes at a time – if you’re using a battery-operated or electric toothbrush, it may contain a timer so you follow through on this. You can also set your kitchen timer to ensure that you are brushing for at least two minutes.
- Change your toothbrush – we recommend you change/replace your toothbrush every 3 months. If you don’t remember how long it’s been since you bought your last one, you’re probably overdue for a new toothbrush. You should also consider replacing your toothbrush after you have been ill.
- Don’t brush your teeth too hard – research has shown that harsh brushing will clean your teeth but this can also strip away the enamel. Use toothbrushes with soft bristles and do not apply too much force when brushing.
- Floss, floss, and floss again – we estimate that the average patient need to use up to 120 yards of dental floss annually (that’s 60 feet longer than an American football field!). Ironically, the sales recorded for dental floss equates to less than 20 yards per person, which means we as a nation are not flossing enough. If you’re not flossing before brushing twice daily, you need to start.
- Make sure you brush all surface areas of your teeth – although this is just common sense, we really can’t see how thoroughly you are brushing without examining your teeth. Make sure that you don’t miss any surface areas including the back, corners, edges, and fronts as well as the gum line.
Dental hygiene should not involve a “no pain, no gain” mentality. You should never be experiencing pain and discomfort whenever you are brushing and flossing your teeth. If you are, you should schedule an appointment with one of our dentists as soon as possible. This could mean that you are not doing it properly. The same holds true if you notice that your gums are bleeding. So call us today for our list of preventative dental hygiene tips.