How to Keep Up Healthy Dental Hygiene
When it comes to maintaining healthy dental hygiene, most people immediately think of brushing and flossing for good reason. Flossing and brushing matter a great deal. Healthy dental hygiene ultimately hinges on technique during cleaning, the frequency of the cleaning and the willingness to commit to a thorough daily oral health regimen.
Health Oral Health Tips
Brushing is the Foundation of Healthy Dental Hygiene
Clean teeth are the basis for sound oral health. The portion of the mouth where the gums contact the teeth is especially important. Focus on these spaces when brushing your teeth. Daily brushing will help ward off cavities. Brush a least two times per day for two-minute sessions. Take your time, perform a complete cleaning with fluoridated toothpaste and a toothbrush with soft bristles.
Even the angle you hold your toothbrush plays a role in achieving and maintaining healthy dental hygiene. Hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle with your mouth. Guide the bristles to the area where the gums and teeth meet. Brush this space and the rest of your teeth in small circular motions.
Brushing does not end with the teeth. You should also brush your tongue and gums to boot. Your tongue is ground zero for bacteria, food bits and other unsavory particles. Clean it with a toothbrush or tongue scraper every single day to maintain the optimal level of oral hygiene.
Healthy Dental Hygiene Requires Cleanliness
It is imperative you treat your toothbrush with care. Store it so it hangs or so the toothbrush head faces downward. Such positioning allows the moisture to seep out of the bristles rather than seep down into them. Do not cover the top of your toothbrush. Let it air dry. If you cover the top, it will be that much more likely to serve as a breeding ground for mold, bacteria, yeast and other nasty particles.
If you notice the toothbrush bristles are worn, discolored or showing any other signs of damage, replace the toothbrush. Toothbrushes tend to pick up bacteria, food particles and generally endure bristle weakening after a couple months of use.
Floss With Precision to Maintain Healthy Dental Hygiene
Flossing is essential to the look and function of your teeth and gums. A toothbrush will not reach those narrow spaces between the teeth and the gums or the spaces between the teeth. This is precisely why floss and mouthwash are necessary. Use a piece of floss upwards of 20 inches in length to clean your upper teeth.
Use floss of the same length to clean your bottom teeth. Gently guide the floss between your teeth. Do not snap the floss. Curve the floss in the shape of the letter “c” when cleaning between the teeth and the gums.
Above all, you should be patient when flossing. Clean one tooth at a time at a comfortable pace. Move the floss so it slides along the sides of the teeth to wipe away all of that bacteria, food particles, plaque and other built-up gunk.
Enhance Your Oral Hygiene With Mouth Rinse
Swishing mouth rinse around in your mouth for half a minute or so each morning and evening will improve your oral hygiene that much more. Aside from freshening breath, rinsing with mouthwash also cleans those spaces between the teeth your toothbrush bristles cannot reach.
Call (973) 676-2541 to schedule an appointment with Roman Khodosh DDS PC in our East Orange dental office.