TIPS FOR ORAL HYGIENE (GAINESVILLE DENTAL ARTS) 

   

How to Brush

If you're like most people, you probably learned how to brush as a child… and the chances are, you haven't thought about it much since then. That's understandable — but there may come a point in our life when we find our oral hygiene techniques could use improvement. Here are a few tips on the proper way to brush your teeth… plus, a reminder of why we have to do it. First, the reasons why: Brushing is an effective way to remove plaque — a sticky, bacteria-laden biofilm that clings stubbornly to your teeth. The bacteria in plaque produce acids, which erode the tooth's enamel and may lead to tooth decay. Plaque can also cause gum disease and bad breath. In fact, it's believed that over 90% of dental disease is caused by plaque accumulation alone. Besides removing plaque, the fluoride in toothpaste strengthens tooth enamel and makes teeth more decay-resistant. Plus, brushing makes your mouth feel cleaner and your breath smell fresher. While there is no single “right” way to brush your teeth, there are a number of techniques that can help you get them sparkly-clean. So why wait — let's take a refresh and relearn our brushing methods right now!

Proper Brushing Technique

● To begin, select a small-headed, soft-bristled toothbrush, grasp it gently with your fingers (not your fist), and squeeze on a pea-sized dab of fluoride toothpaste.

● Hold the bristles gently against the outside of your top teeth, near the gum line, at about a 45-degree angle upward.

● Sweep the brush gently back and forth over teeth and gums in soft strokes — or, if you prefer, use an elliptical (circular) motion to clean the teeth.

● Be sure to clean the spaces between teeth: You can use a sweeping motion to brush food particles away from the gums.

● When you have done one brush-width, move to the adjacent area of your teeth and repeat. Keep going until you have finished cleaning the outside of the whole top row of teeth.

● Move to the bottom teeth. Repeat the procedure, tilting the brush down toward the gum line at about 45 degrees. Finish cleaning the outside of the bottom teeth.

● Go on to the inside of the top teeth. Tilting the bristles up toward the gums, clean the inside of the top teeth with gentle but thorough strokes.

● Move to the inside of the bottom teeth. Tilt the brush down and repeat the procedure ● Now it's time for the chewing surfaces: Holding the bristles flat against the molars, clean the

ridges and valleys of the back teeth. Do this for all the top and bottom teeth ● Finally, brush your tongue gently to remove bacteria and freshen breath

How To Floss

You always brush twice a day, avoid sugary snacks between meals, and go to the dentist regularly. Do you still have to floss your teeth?

The short answer: Yes, at least once a day. Flossing is probably your single most important weapon against plaque, the clingy bacterial biofilm that sticks to the surfaces of your teeth. Plaque is the principal cause of tooth decay; but it is also the cause of periodontitis (gum disease), bad breath, and other maladies. Brushing is a good start — but flossing removes plaque in places a brush can't reach, like the small gaps between teeth and under the gums. It also polishes tooth surfaces and decreases the risk of gum disease. Some people may think they don't have time to floss, but once you get the hang of it, flossing only takes few minutes. If you are going to floss only once a day, it's best to do it at night just before going to sleep. That's because there is less saliva present in your mouth when you are sleeping, so plaque is more concentrated and potentially more harmful. Just in case you never really learned proper flossing techniques, here's a step-by-step approach including some easy tips for doing a great job.

Proper Flossing Technique

● Cut off a piece of floss about 18 inches long. Wind it around the middle finger of both hands leaving a gap of around three or four inches. You will now be able to use different combinations of your thumbs and index fingers to correctly position the floss between your teeth for all areas of your mouth.

● Tip: The most common mistake people make while flossing is that they tighten their lips and cheeks making it impossible to get their fingers into the mouth. Relax your lips and cheeks.

● Now, guide the floss gently into the space between your teeth. ● Tip:Even if the gap is tight, try not to snap the floss into your gums as you're inserting it. A

side-to-side sawing motion is good to use here, but only when slipping the floss gently between the teeth.

● There are two sides to each space between your teeth and you must floss each side separately so as not to injure the triangle of gum tissue between your teeth. Run the floss up and down the surface of the tooth, making sure you are going down to the gum line and then up to the highest contact point between the teeth. Apply pressure with your fingers away from the gum triangle, letting it curve around the side of the tooth forming the letter “C” with the floss.

● Tip: You want your fingers as close to the front and back of the tooth as possible so both fingers move in harmony up and down until you hear a squeaky clean sound. This is easier with un-waxed floss. The smaller the amount of floss between your fingers, the more control you will have while flossing.

● Next, move your fingers to the top contact area between the teeth and slide across to the other side of the space. Apply pressure with your fingers in the opposite direction and repeat.

● Slide the floss out from between the teeth. If it's frayed or brownish, that's good: you're removing plaque! Unwind a little new floss from the “dispenser” finger, and take up the used floss on the other finger.

● Repeat the process on the next space between teeth. Work all around the mouth — and don't forget back sides of the last molar teeth.

If you're having trouble with the two-finger method, here's another way to try flossing: Just tie the same amount of floss into a big loop, place all your fingers (but not thumbs) inside the loop, and work it around your teeth with index fingers and thumbs. All the other steps remain the same. Once you've got the basics down, there are a few different types of flosses you can try, including flavored, waxed, and wider width. Some people find waxed floss slides more easily into tighter gaps between teeth or restorations — but it may not make that satisfying “squeak” as it's cleaning. Others prefer wide floss for cleaning around bridgework. But whichever way works best for you, the important thing is to keep it up!

Interdental Cleaning Devices

Almost everyone understands the importance of regular brushing and flossing to their oral health. You've heard it many times before, from your Hygienist and Dentist at office visits and checkups: Proper oral hygiene is your first line of defense against tooth decay and gum disease. Yet, while most of us brush regularly, many people don't floss as often as they should… or at all! Why do we not like flossing regularly? Sometimes, it's because we don't have the manual dexterity to handle the floss, or because braces or partial dentures get in the way; or, perhaps we just never got in the habit of flossing our teeth on daily basis. Proper cleaning of the small spaces between teeth is crucial — and here's why: Consistent brushing with fluoride toothpaste has been proven effective at removing dental plaque from the tooth's surfaces and making them more resistant to decay. But regular toothbrushes simply can't get into the small gaps between teeth, or the tiny crevices where teeth meet gums. Unfortunately for our oral health, that's exactly where tooth decay and gum disease starts — and that's where the tools called “interdental cleaners” can help. There are several different types of interdental cleaners available, including special brushes and irrigation devices (commonly called “water picks”). None of them, by themselves, are a substitute for brushing and flossing. However, as part of a regular program of oral hygiene, they can be effective at fighting plaque and reducing the incidence of tooth decay and gum disease.

The Interdental Brush

This specially designed toothbrush sometimes called an interproximal brush or proxabrush can be successfully utilized to clean the small gaps between teeth, as well as the gums and the areas around braces, wires, or other dental appliances. Because it has a handle not unlike a standard toothbrush, many people with limited dexterity find it easy to use. Plus, numerous clinical studies have demonstrated its effectiveness at reducing plaque and controlling gingivitis (gum inflammation).

The cleaning surface of an interdental brush is similar in shape to a small, conical pipe cleaner. Its short bristles radiate from a thin central wire, which is small enough to pass through a very tight space. The brushes are available with both coated and uncoated wire, and come in different widths to accommodate an individual's particular dental anatomy. When needed, they can also be used to apply antibacterial or desensitizing agents to certain areas of the teeth or gums.

Oral Irrigation Devices

Available to us for over 50 years, these devices sometimes known as water jets or water picks can also play an important role in interdental hygiene. While their popularity has gone up and down over the decades, many studies have shown that they provide a safe and effective method of diluting the acids produced by plaque. Irrigation devices typically use pulsed or steady jets of pressurized water to remove food particles from the hard-to-clean interdental spaces, as well as in some subgingival (below the gum line) pockets. Proper brushing and flossing is still generally considered the gold standard of at-home oral hygiene. But if you have trouble flossing regularly — or if you're at increased risk for developing dental or periodontal disease — then using these interdental cleaners might be right for you.

Mouthrinses

Studies have shown that using an appropriate mouthrinse, in conjunction with regular brushing and flossing, is an easy and effective way for you to improve your overall oral health. As part of a regular program of oral hygiene, mouthrinses also sometimes known as mouthwashes can be effective at reducing plaque, controlling bad breath, and helping to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. There are a plethora of mouthrinses lining the drugstore shelves, and they are available in both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) formulations. Which one is best for you? That depends on what benefit you expect to get from using it.

It's important to keep in mind that many off-the-shelf mouthrinses are primarily cosmetic: That means, they may (temporarily) make your mouth taste or smell good, but they don't offer any lasting benefit to your oral health. There's nothing wrong with that — as long as you weren't expecting anything more. But if you've been told that you are at risk for tooth decay or gum disease, you'll want to use a mouthrinse that has proven clinical benefits.

Therapeutic Mouthrinses

Mouthrinses that offer oral-health benefits are considered therapeutic. These fall into two general categories: anti-cariogenic rinses, which are designed to prevent tooth decay (and thus dental caries, or “cavities”); and anti-bacterial rinses, which help control the buildup of plaque bacteria in your mouth. Some products may even offer both types of protection. To help prevent tooth decay, anti-cariogenic mouthrinses use an ingredient you're probably already familiar with: fluoride. This is often in the form of a .05% sodium fluoride solution. Because it's a liquid, the rinse can get all around your teeth — even into spaces the smallest brush can't reach. Fluoride has been consistently proven to strengthen tooth enamel, which protects against decay; it can even reduce tiny lesions on teeth where a cavity may form. There's hardly anyone who couldn't use some extra help in the fight against cavities — but if you've been told you may be at a higher risk for tooth decay, or if you have difficulty brushing and flossing, then an anti-cariogenic rinse is a good choice for you. Anti-bacterial mouthrinses generally contain ingredients (like triclosan, essential oils, or the prescription medication chlorhexidine) that help to control the microorganisms found in plaque. Plaque, a sticky, bacteria-laden biofilm, occurs not only on the surfaces of the teeth, but also in other parts of the mouth. Rinsing with an anti-bacterial solution has been shown to provide a greater reduction in plaque than brushing and flossing alone. As tools in the fight against gum disease (gingivitis) and tooth decay, anti-bacterial mouthrinses may be a good step toward improving your oral hygiene.

Choosing A Mouthrinse

If you're looking for an over-the-counter therapeutic mouthrinse, look for the ADA (American Dental Association) seal on the label; it means that the product has been evaluated and proven effective by an independent panel of dental experts. If a mouthrinse has been prescribed for you, you should carefully follow the usage instructions. (Note, however, that due to labeling rules, prescription mouthrinses may not be eligible for the ADA seal.) Mouthrinses can benefit most people, but they generally aren't recommended for children under the age of six, because of the fear that they may swallow them.

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