Maintaining good oral hygiene is the foundation of a healthy smile. It plays a crucial role in preventing cavities and gum disease, and avoiding costly periodontal treatments, fillings, and root canals. In this article, we give tips for building a good oral hygiene routine.
Tips for Building a Good Oral Hygiene Routine
The goal of oral care is to keep your teeth and gums free of plaque and tartar to prevent cavities and gum disease, and to avoid costly, complicated treatments. An effective oral hygiene routine combines consistent at-home care, the right products and techniques, and regular visits to your dentist. Let us look at each point in more detail.
Choose The Right Toothbrush
Dentists often recommend opting for a soft or medium-soft toothbrush. It should be effective at removing plaque, but not too hard so as not to irritate or hurt your gums when you are cleaning along the gumline.
If you like additional features such as timers, you may consider an electric toothbrush. However, a high-quality traditional toothbrush, combined with proper brushing techniques, is typically as effective as an electric one.
Opt for Fluoride Toothpaste
Fluoride is an essential ingredient for remineralizing and strengthening your teeth’s enamel. It also helps fight bacterial growth in the mouth. Thus, regular use of fluoride toothpaste helps reduce the risk of cavities and gum disease.
Brush and Floss Correctly
You should brush your teeth twice a day and floss every evening. When brushing your teeth, spend two full minutes, cleaning each side of the lower and upper arches for 30 seconds. Make sure to clean well in hard-to-reach areas at the back of your mouth and along the gumline.
When cleaning along the gumline, hold your brush at a 45-degree angle to the gums and use small circular motions. Do not brush too forcefully to avoid gum irritation.
In the evening, start your routine with flossing, making sure to clean each tooth on both sides with a flossing thread. If traditional flossing is challenging, try a floss pick or interdental brushes. Then continue with brushing.
Add a Water Flosser to Your Routine
A water flosser is an optional tool for your everyday routine. Still, it has been proven effective at reducing tartar accumulation and preventing gum disease and cavities when used regularly and correctly. A water flosser cannot replace traditional brushing and flossing, but it can boost your routine when used as an additional step.
We recommend starting your evening routine with a water flosser to loosen plaque and food debris, then proceed with traditional flossing, and finish with brushing. When used as the first step, a water flosser can also make your fluoride toothpaste more effective.
Visit Your Dentist Regularly
Even if your at-home routine is impeccable, tartar can accumulate on your teeth over time, especially in hard-to-reach areas. Additionally, such orthodontic issues as crowded or crooked teeth can exacerbate tartar accumulation.
To keep your teeth and gums free of tartar, we recommend visiting your dentist twice a year for professional cleanings and fluoride treatments. Also, during such visits, your doctor will check for early signs of cavities or gum disease, helping avoid serious issues with timely treatments or preventive measures.
Make an Appointment at East Highland Dental
Do not hesitate to schedule an appointment with an experienced dentist at East Highland Dental for a checkup and professional cleaning. At our office, we offer a wide range of preventive and restorative procedures to help our clients preserve and improve their oral health. We are looking forward to your visit.