From a young age, your dentist has hammered home one valuable piece of advice: brush and floss your teeth everyday. That’s because there is really no better way to fight plaque buildup and protect your smile from the onset of tooth decay and gum disease. However, to see results you need to be doing these things the correct way. We actually have a few tips for proper brushing and flossing that you may find helpful.
5 Tips for Proper Brushing and Flossing
- Floss daily: No exceptions! At a minimum, you need to do this before you go to sleep at night. Doing so removes food particles trapped between your teeth that a toothbrush can’t reach. Removing these particles reduces the risk of tooth decay and gum disease, improving your breath in the process. You should wrap the tape around your middle fingers and secure a length of it between your thumb and index finger. Then gently go down the side of each tooth.
- Use the right toothbrush: If the bristles are too hard, then you can damage your tooth by removing enamel. If the toothbrush isn’t approved by the ADA (American Dental Association) then the brush may not adequately clean your teeth. Look for a brush with soft bristles and an ADA seal of approval on the packaging.
- Use the right floss: There are quite a few options out there, including floss picks and tape. It doesn’t matter which floss you use as long as you are flossing daily and correctly. The floss picks do not do as good a job as regular floss.
- Brushing your teeth takes time: Two minutes to be precise. Any less and you are not cleaning your teeth properly. Just cleaning your teeth for only a minute or 30 seconds can still leave your smile vulnerable to tooth decay.
- Kids need to as well: As soon as the teeth arrive your little ones need to have their teeth brushed.You can use a wet wash cloth to clean the erupted teeth and gum areas during bath time. This gets them used to having something in their mouth and makes dental visits easier as they get older. After they are three years old begin using a toothbrush and floss guiding them in the proper techniques. You should assist them in the early years until they know how to clean their teeth properly.
ABOUT YOUR WACO, TX, DENTIST:
We look forward to providing families with exceptional care and advanced treatment options. To schedule an appointment with Corbet Locke, DDS, contact our Waco, TX, dental office today by calling 254-776-4888. Our office welcomes patients in and around Waco, TX, including Hewitt, McGregor, Woodway, and the surrounding Central Texas communities.