General Dental Tips:
Brush twice a day for at least 5 minutes
Use a soft brush and replace it promptly when it’s worn
Floss every day. Floss only the teeth you want to keep!
See your Dental Hygienist for a cleaning at least twice a year

Flossing:
Proper flossing removes the plaque that grows in between your teeth that tooth brushing can’t remove. Wrap the floss around two fingers. This way you won’t “choke” your fingers. Saw the floss back and forth to slip it between the contacts of your teeth. Once between your teeth curve the floss slightly around the tooth and scrape up & down to remove the sticky plaque. Waxed or unwaxed floss is fine. Just as long as you use it every day, once a day for proper dental health & hygiene.

Teeth Plaque:
Plaque is a film of bacteria and mucous that grows on your teeth. Some of the bacteria in the plaque make acids which decay your teeth. Other kinds of bacteria in the plaque make toxins which cause gum disease. The easiest and most effective way to remove the plaque from your teeth is to brush and floss. Those costly rinses just don’t do it! When the plaque is hardened on your teeth it is called tartar or calculus. In such case for dental health & hygiene you need a Dental Hygienist or Dentist to remove it by “scaling” the tartar off.

Oral/Dental Hygiene Tips:
You should visit your dentist at least every six months or more frequently to get your teeth or gums cleaned. By visiting your dentist twice a year, your dentist can monitor your oral/dental health and help you prevent any dental problems that may occur before they became uncomfortable or require more complex or expensive treatment. The dentist may suggest more frequent visits, depending on your oral diagnosis.

Use of tooth picks occasionally to remove food particles is ok, but long term, vigorous use of toothpicks will cause abrasion of the teeth and gingival recession. Leaving a toothpick in the mouth by habit for long periods of time can cause excessive wearing of the teeth and temporomandibular joint problems. Also, see that you never break off the tip in your gums.

Rinsing with water after a meal neutralizes the acids left behind in the mouth after eating and reduces bacteria by 30 percent. Although brushing is most recommended but may not be feasible in certain situations.

A professional dental cleaning at least twice a year can improve the state of oral health, reports the Academy of General Dentistry, an organization of general dentists dedicated to continuing dental education.

It takes dentists and hygienists years of schooling to properly use the dental instruments and to diagnose an oral condition. Misuse of these instruments by untrained people can easily damage the teeth and gums leading to sensitivity, gingival recession, tooth chipping and other serious problems.

It’s strongly recommended that a dentist or hygienist perform a dental cleaning every 3-6 months. For questions or to make an appointment call our office at 818.788.7711.