Oral Hygiene Routine Tips

A good oral hygiene routine includes regular visits to your dentist, but you can also practice good habits between visits. There are several ways in which you can keep your teeth healthy and strong in the time that passes before your next dental check-up. Here is a look at some…

Dental Hygiene Tips

Brushing

The most effective part of any dental hygiene routine and easiest for you to do at home is to brush your teeth. You should brush at least two minutes, and this means spending roughly 30-seconds in each quadrant of your mouth.

You should be diligent to make sure your toothbrush makes contact with all surfaces of your teeth including the chewing section on top, as well as all the sides.

Remember to use a toothpaste that is rated for daily brushing and change your toothbrush at least once every three months. Use one that has soft bristles, as hard bristles can damage your teeth.

Another part of routine dental care is the requirement of brushing your teeth at least twice a day.

For more tips on brushing your teeth, please see the video below…

(Video is courtesy of the Australian Dental Association)

Flossing

At All Needs Dental, we recommend that you floss your teeth at least once a day and that you don’t forget to floss the teeth at the back of your mouth, either. It is best to use a length of about 45-centimetres of dental floss that you wrap around your fingers.

The best way to floss is to gently lower the floss between teeth and follow the curve of each tooth. This prevents damaging your gums. As you move from one tooth to another, wrap and re-wrap your fingers to take the dirty floss away and replace it with clean floss.

For more tips on flossing, please see the video below…

(Video is courtesy of the Australian Dental Association)

Piksters

Most patients are aware of the importance of regular flossing and Piksters are a very effective tool that can also clean the gaps between your teeth where plaque and calculus can accumulate and cause disease.

Piksters can be used as a substitute for flossing when patients find flossing difficult, but also are a more suitable tool for adult patients with gum disease or with large spaces between their teeth.

Ask us at your next dental visit about Pikster brushes and their great design and we can help you choose the right size Pikster brush to fit between your teeth.

Mouthwash

A good oral hygiene routine includes rinsing your mouth with mouthwash. All you need is a small amount of mouthwash and it is best to swish it around your mouth for at least 30-seconds. Keep your lips closed while doing this and then spit the mouthwash into a sink. Use mouthwash after each brushing and flossing session.

Tongue

One final part of a home teeth care routine is to ensure that you also clean your tongue. You can do this in one of two different ways. With a toothbrush and a small dab of toothpaste, brush your tongue in a circular motion and do this to as much of your tongue that you can brush comfortably.

This oral hygiene routine of cleaning your tongue can also be done with a piece of dental floss. Just wrap a length between two fingers and gently scrape your tongue clean with the middle part of the floss. Finish either tongue cleaning session by rinsing your mouth.

One More Oral Hygiene Routine Tip

When you are putting together your oral health care routine, remember to factor in regular visits to your dentist. Combined with good practices between visits, your teeth and gums will remain strong and healthy for a very long time.

To book your next regular check-up, contact us at All Needs Dental, in Burwood in Sydney’s Inner West today.