What are the components of a good brushing and flossing routine?

Brushing and flossing are important parts of your oral hygiene routine, but there are other essential elements as well. To best maintain your oral health and help keep your teeth and gums disease-free, follow the steps outlined by our Etobicoke dentists below.

Brushing

Brushing your teeth is probably the most important thing you can do every day to maintain your oral health. Brush your teeth two or three times a day, for two minutes at a time.

Brush your teeth for 30 seconds on each quadrant (upper right, upper left, lower right, lower left) for the best results. Brush your teeth thoroughly, paying special attention to the biting, chewing, and chewing surfaces of each tooth.

Tip: Try an Electric Toothbrush

Cleaning your teeth is made simpler by using an electric toothbrush. They are easier to use than manual brushes because they carry out the proper brushing motion for you. The best circular brushing motion is produced by an electric toothbrush with a round, rotating head.

In addition, because the head is quite small, it’s easier to clean those awkward, hard-to-reach spots, like your back molars, and the backs of your front teeth.

Flossing

You should floss at least once a day, preferably at night before bed. Flossing dislodges food debris and build-up from between your teeth, in the places your toothbrush can’t reach.

Insert the floss between two teeth and run it up and down the side of each, pulling it into a “c” shape in both directions. Proceed slowly and thoroughly, and be sure to floss between every two teeth.

Professional Dental Cleanings & Check-ups

Visiting the dentist every six months for a dental cleaning and check-up is essential to maintaining oral health.

Your dentist has the expertise and tools required to remove plaque and tartar build-up that you can't remove yourself with brushing and flossing.

If your dentist sees you frequently enough, they will be able to spot dental issues early on and treat them before they worsen. It's important to have your mouth checked by a dental professional on a regular basis because oral health issues like cavities, gum disease, and even tumours, cysts, and other abnormalities are frequently undetectable to the untrained eye in their early stages.

Diet

Eating a healthy diet that’s rich in calcium helps keep your teeth healthy from the inside out. Restrict consumption of sugars and starches, because oral bacteria thrive on these.

Hydration

Keeping hydrated can aid in avoiding cavities! You can keep up a healthy saliva flow by drinking plenty of water, and saliva washes away the food particles that build up on your teeth and encourage the growth of bacteria.

Supplementary Hygiene Aids

Oral hygiene aids are additions to your brushing and flossing routine. Good examples of supplementary hygiene aids include tongue cleaners, mouthwash, interdental cleaners, and oral irrigators.

With the aid of these tools, you can maintain a fresh breath and keep plaque from accumulating in between brushing and flossing sessions. They can definitely help make a thorough brushing and flossing routine better even though they are not a sufficient replacement for it.

If you have questions about how to improve your brushing and flossing routine, we can help! Contact our Etobicoke dentists today.