A beautiful, healthy smile that lasts a lifetime is our ultimate goal when treating patients. Your personal home care plays an important role in achieving that goal. Your personal home care starts by eating balanced meals, reducing the number of snacks you eat and drink, and correctly using the various dental aids that help control the plaque and bacteria that cause dental disease.
Recent research has found that your dental health can also be affected by how often you eat. Every time you eat a sweet or starchy food, the bacteria in your mouth feast on it, and in turn, produce acids that attack your teeth for 20 minutes or more.
And the more frequently you eat, the more your teeth are exposed to these acids, which can eventually dissolve your tooth enamel and cause decay.
One way your diet can benefit your dental health is to combine your foods into a meal. Sticky or starchy foods create less acids in your mouth when they are eaten as part of a meal because saliva production increases at mealtime. Saliva not only rinses away food particles, but it also neutralizes harmful acids and helps to remineralize your teeth, so they're more resistant to acid attacks.
So to maximize your nutrition and your dental health, eat a well-balanced diet, limit sugary, starchy, and sticky foods and drinks, and avoid between-meal snacking.
Tooth brushing – Brush your teeth at least twice a day (especially before going to bed at night) with an ADA approved soft bristle brush and toothpaste.
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Place the toothbrush at a 90-degree angle where the gums and teeth meet.
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Use small circular motions to gently brush the gumline and teeth.
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Do not scrub or apply too much pressure to the teeth, as this can damage the gums and tooth enamel.
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Brush every surface of every tooth, cheek-side, tongue-side, and chewing surfaces. Place special emphasis on the surfaces of the back teeth.
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Use back and forth strokes to brush the chewing surfaces.
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Use the tip of the brush to clean the inside of the front teeth.
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Brush your tongue to remove bacteria and freshen your breath.
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Rinse thoroughly.
Electric toothbrushes are also recommended. They are easy to use and can remove plaque efficiently. Simply place the bristles of the electric brush on your gums and teeth and allow the brush to do its job, several teeth at a time.
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.
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Cut a piece of floss to around 18 inches long (roughly the length of your arm).
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Wrap one end of the floss around the middle finger of the left hand and the other end around the middle finger of the right hand until the hands are 2-3 inches apart.
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Work the floss gently between the teeth toward the gum line.
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Curve the floss in a C-shape around each individual tooth and carefully slide it beneath the gum line.
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Carefully move the floss up and down several times to remove interdental plaque and debris.
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Do not pop the floss in and out between the teeth as this will inflame and cut the gums.
Floss holders and adjuncts are recommended if you have difficulty using conventional floss.
Use other dental aids as recommended by your dentist or dental hygienist: Interdental brushes, rubber tip stimulators, tongue cleaners, irrigation devices, fluoride, medicated rinses, etc., can all play a role in good dental home care.
Rinsing – It is important to rinse your mouth with water after brushing, and also after meals if you are unable to brush. If you are using an over-the-counter product for rinsing, it’s a good idea to consult with your dentist or dental hygienist on its appropriateness for you.