Brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing is the most important part of maintaining good dental health, yet such a large majority of people are often still not cleaning their teeth the best they can. It’s so important not to skimp out on your oral care, since that smile is going to be with you for life! We decided to create the full guide to daily dental care to follow and check off every day! Starting with the brushing basics:
The optimal amount of time someone should brush their teeth is for two minutes, a whole 120 seconds! Often people don’t even come close to that time limit. The two minutes will allow for an effective amount of time to scrub each part of your mouth.
- Start off by brushing the outside of your teeth, both top and bottom.
- Brush the insides of the teeth, top and bottom.
- Focus on brushing at the gumline, as this will keep gums clean and prevent gingivitis.
- Brush the top of the teeth, where you chew.
- Last, brush your tounge and surrounding mouth areas for bad breath prevention.
Flossing is the big one that we will always encourage as dentists! While your mouth may feel fresh and clean, the toothbrush simply cannot reach in between your teeth to leftover food in the gums. Not flossing will cause the food to rot, creating cavities, gingivitis and bad breath.
- Be gentle with your gums. Use a rubbing motion when dealing with floss.
- Floss one tooth at a time, curving between each one. And rubbing along the length of the tooth.
- Make this a daily habit. This may be the most difficult step, but once you get it, it will be a hard one to kick!
The saying goes, good dental health means good overall health! Keep your teeth clean, and you can ensure big smiles all around! Make an appointment at Blackburn Shoppes Dental Centre for any dental tips or services you need.
