Brushing
You’ll no doubt be aware that brushing your teeth, which removes the plaque that causes tooth decay and gum disease, is important. What you may not know is that how often you brush, how long you brush for, the kind of technique and toothbrush you use all matter too.
To gain the maximum benefit from brushing your teeth, you should be brushing for at least two minutes morning and night, spending roughly 30 seconds on each quarter of your mouth. Think that sounds like too much hard work?
Firing up your streaming service, playing your favourite two-minute pop song – think the likes of Blur’s “Song No.2” or “Mr. Zebra” by Tori Amos – and brushing until the end is one fun way to make sure your teeth get all the cleaning they need.
It’s all in the technique
If you’re like most people, you probably don’t give too much thought to how you brush your teeth, beyond squirting on some toothpaste, and brushing back and forth.
But as your dentist will tell you, how you brush your teeth matters a great deal. You should be cleaning your teeth systematically, starting at the back with the toothbrush bristle at the gumline or at a 45° angle, brushing gently in a circular motion, and finishing with a spit, not a rinse. If you have an electric toothbrush, you should be guiding the moving brush head slowly from tooth to tooth following the contours of the tooth and the curve of the gums.
Regardless of the brush you use, try to avoid brushing with too much force as this can damage the surface of your teeth. And as for the toothpaste? You only need a pea-sized amount to get the job done.
Tools of the trade
You are always best using a soft-bristled toothbrush with a small head and a flexible neck because this will most effectively remove plaque and debris from your teeth, without damaging your teeth and gums and drawing blood. Try to replace your brush at the first sign of wear-and-tear or every three months, whichever comes first, and if you’ve just had a cold, replace your toothbrush so you don’t get reinfected by the germs in the bristles.
If you have braces
It’s recommended that you brush after every meal, preferably using a toothbrush with a soft head to regularly clean away the food debris and plaque that can accumulate in the brackets. The best technique is to hold your brush at a 45-degree angle to the gums, much like a standard brushing technique, before moving on to brushing downwards to clean the top of the brackets and brushing upwards to clean the bottom section.
Flossing
Here’s something you may not know – nearly half the surface area of your teeth lies between them. And no, we’re not telling you this so you can ace the next dental trivia contest you attend.
Why that particular information is important is because if you’re solely relying on brushing you’re not cleaning a large portion of your teeth, which in turn can affect how healthy your teeth and gums are. By removing the plaque from between your teeth, you’re helping to prevent gum disease, tooth decay and halitosis, otherwise known as “bad breath”.
So flossing, or interdental cleaning as it’s officially known, is an essential part of caring for your teeth and gums, and not some kind of “nice to have” added extra.
It’s all in the technique
It’s one thing to make flossing a part of your dental health care routine, quite another to do it properly. Your dentist is the most qualified person to instruct you on flossing correctly but there are some basic tips you can follow:
Tip 1: Wind about 45cm of floss around your middle fingers and rest it across your thumbs and index fingers.
Tip 2: Use a gentle up-and-down motion that goes down one side of the tooth, just under the little collar of gum and then back up the other side (think of it as an on-the-side “c”).
Tip 3: If you’re not sure about the right technique, have a chat to your dentist who can show you all the right flossing moves.
If sticking your fingers into your mouth with a cord of thin filaments strung between them isn’t your idea of fun, then consider using either a less invasive floss threader or floss pick to do the job.
And finally, your dentist might also recommend using other items such as bottle brush-shaped interdental cleaners, if you have large gaps between your teeth, or interdental tips (flexible rubber tips) and irrigators (electrically-powered water-pumping devices) to compliment your flossing regimen.
Make flossing a routine
Flossing should be an integral part of your dental health routine along with brushing. You should be flossing once a day, either in the morning or night, or even after lunch, for at least two minutes.. But it’s not just adults who need to floss. Kids should start cleaning between their teeth as soon as they have two teeth in contact but until the age of 10, it’s best if the parent does the flossing as younger kids don’t have the manual dexterity needed to floss effectively.
If you have braces
Flossing is more important than ever in tis instance, playing an integral role in clearing out food particles and plaque. Using the usual flossing tape can prove to be a bit of a challenge, so you might find something like a floss threader and interdental brushes will work better for you. Always floss gently and slowly since too much pressure and speed can damage your braces