Brushing and Flossing Your Teeth Matters!

We’ve all heard that brushing and flossing our teeth is important but why exactly is that so? What would happen if we stopped? Let’s take a look…

Brushing

Brushing your teeth daily is a great way of removing plaque that can cause damage and it can keep away gum disease that can be painful and even lead to tooth loss. Brushing is a key part of maintaining good oral health. So let’s learn about proper brushing techniques:

Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and a small strip of fluoride toothpaste. When you brush your teeth, move the brush in small circular motions to reach food particles that may be under your gum line. Hold the toothbrush at 45-degree angle and brush slowly and carefully, covering all areas between teeth and the surface of each tooth.

It will take you several minutes to thoroughly brush your teeth. Brush up on the lower teeth, down on the upper teeth and the outside, inside and chewing surface of all of your front and back teeth. Brush your tongue and the roof of your mouth before you rinse.

You should try to brush your teeth four times daily to avoid the accumulation of food particles and plaque. You can brush in the morning after breakfast, after lunch, after dinner, and before you go to bed.

Flossing

Many people believe that just brushing is enough but this is not the case. For areas between the teeth that a toothbrush can’t reach, dental floss is used to remove food particles and plaque. Dental floss is a thin thread of waxed nylon that is used to reach below the gum line and clean between teeth. It is very important to floss between your teeth every day.

Here’s how to get started:

Pull a small length of floss from the dispenser. Wrap the ends of the floss tightly around your middle fingers. Guide the floss between all teeth to the gum line, pulling out any food particles or plaque. Unwrap clean floss from around your fingers as you go so that you have used the floss from beginning to end when you finish. Floss behind all of your back teeth and your front teeth too. Moving the floss back and forth and holding the floss correctly are both important parts of this process.

Floss at night to make sure your teeth are clean before you go to bed. When you first begin flossing, your gums may bleed a little. If the bleeding does not go away after the first few times, let a staff member know at your next appointment.

If you have questions about brushing and flossing techniques, give us a call! We’d love to chat.