Oral Hygiene

Brushing removes the plaque that causes tooth decay and gum disease. Using the correct brushing technique matters a great deal as well as how long you brush and what type of toothbrush you use. To get the most benefit from brushing your teeth you should be brushing in the morning and the evening for at least 2 minutes. The great thing is that any good electric toothbrush has a 2 minute timer on it making it easy to keep track of your brushing time.

The brushing technique plays a very important part in looking after your teeth. If you prefer a manual toothbrush hold the head of the brush at a 45 degree angle always brushing gently from your gum towards the tooth in a rotational movement. If the electric toothbrush is your choice move the brushing head slowly from tooth to tooth brushing the contours of the tooth and curve of the gums. Always use a soft brush.

Cleaning between the teeth or interdental cleaning is something that should not be left out. Although scientifically the lack of evidence of the efficiency of flossing is documented, using some sort of interdental cleaning aids besides floss like interdental brushes or water picks can be beneficial to the removal of plaque and food stuck between your teeth that can cause tooth decay, gum disease and halitosis, otherwise known as “bad breath”. Every patient is unique and some will only use floss to clean between the teeth and some only interdental brushes and some a combination of the two.

During the scale and clean appointment we will show you how to use the interdental products best suited to you.