Toothbrushing – Brush your teeth at least twice a day (especially before going to bed at night) with an ADA approved soft bristle brush and toothpaste.
-
When using a Sonicare, place the brush at a 45 degree angle, ensuring that you always feel the bristles on the gums.
-
Brush the outer, inner, and biting surfaces of each tooth.
-
Use the tip of the brush to clean the inside of the front teeth.
-
Brush your tongue to remove bacteria and freshen your breath.
Clean Between Your Teeth at least 1-2 x a day With Proxabrushes, Softpicks and/or floss:
Softpicks and interdental brushes (also known as proxabrushes) are available in many sizes and are gaining in popularity because they are easy to use, and for some patients – more effective than flossing alone!
Proxabrushes – Proxabrushes are available on handles (similar to length of toothbrush handles) or in travel sizes. A travel proxabrush is covered by a cap that sheaths over the brush. This form of Proxabrush is conveniently kept in ones pocket or purse, and thus is good for those individuals who want to clean between their teeth during the day, or to take to restaurants or trips.
Who Should Use Them?
- Anyone who finds flossing difficult
- People who don’t like to floss
- People with exposed roots
- Deep dental pockets
- Areas of bone loss or gum recession
- Areas where teeth are missing
- Previous gum surgery which has exposed more tooth and root anatomy
- Larger spaces between the teeth
- Grooves and concavities in teeth and roots
- People with braces – great around brackets and wires
Flossing – Daily flossing is the best way to clean between the teeth and under the gumline. Flossing not only helps clean these spaces, it disrupts plaque colonies from building up, preventing damage to the gums, teeth, and bone.
-
Take 12-16 inches (30-40cm) of dental floss and wrap it around your middle fingers, leaving about 2 inches (5cm) of floss between the hands.
-
Using your thumbs and forefingers to guide the floss, gently insert the floss between teeth using a sawing motion.
-
Curve the floss into a “C” shape around each tooth and under the gumline. Gently move the floss up and down, cleaning the side of each tooth.
OTHER IMPORTANT ORAL HYGIENE AIDS:
GUM Brand rubbertip stimulator or Plaque Buster travel rubbertip stimulator – These tools promote healthy and firm gums by massaging the gingival tissues and stimulating the blood flow. It is a traditional method to maintain your gums in good health. It consists of two separate parts: a comfortable ergonomic anodized aluminum handle and a replaceable synthetic rubber tip stimulator. In addition to massaging the tissue it helps to dislodge food particles and dental plaque between the teeth.
- Point the gum stimulator toward your gums at a 45 degree angle.
- Run the rubber tip of the gum stimulator in a circle for 10 seconds between each tooth. Stimulate the gums by working the rubber tip back and forth along the gum line. Besides removing plaque, it stimulates your gums and helps with blood circulation.
Compared to traditional gum stimulators that use a metal handle with a disposable tip, the Plaque Buster is an innovative, onepiece, injectionmolded design with no metal to scratch the user’s teeth. The device was designed for a comfortable overall feel.
TEPE compact end tufted brush – This brush is designed for hard to reach or simply difficult to clean areas where the dental plaque buildup will become harmful to teeth or gums, such as:
- Exposed spaces between the roots of molar teeth due to periodontitis and gum recession, keeping furcations clean
- Complex fixed dentures, bridges or dental implants that are inherently hard to clean
- Orthodontic appliances
- Difficulty in cleaning the back surfaces of the last teeth at the end of the dental arch at the back of the mouth
- Other hard to reach areas identified by your dentist or dental hygienist
GUM brand tongue scraper – The front portion of the tongue is pretty self cleansing, however, the back portion can often collect more bacteria. You can use a toothbrush or a special tongue scraper. Tongue scrapers come in various designs. Be gentle. Don’t go too far back and stick to the center of the tongue and not the sides which are more delicate and prone to injury. If you have a sensitive gag reflex a tongue scraper will probably work better for you.Do it daily. Just like brushing and flossing, frequency is key. Oral bacteria are constantly reproducing. Once you start doing it daily, you may find that your mouth just doesn’t seem as clean without doing it!
Implant Care – Care for dental implants is just as important as caring for natural teeth. Thorough oral hygiene is necessary to prevent diseases around implants. With proper home care and regular professional maintenance, implants can last a lifetime.
There are many different “tools” to aid in cleaning implants. Our favorite aids include the Tepe compact tuft brush and Proxysoft Bridge and Implant floss.
Oral Hygiene Products We Love
