Home Dental Care and You

The average person needs to brush for two to three minutes to make sure they are doing it adequately. However the average person does not brush that long. Time yourself to see how long you are actually brushing and you may be surprised to see that you aren’t close to the time needed to do it adequately. Bring an egg timer in when brushing your teeth will help. Some electric brushes have built in timers that will help.

Brushing and flossing on a regular basis will help prevent dental decay and prevent bad breath. However you need to do it properly or you could be more susceptible to decay and bad breath.

Most people think you need to go in and just make the brush move, but when you brush side to side you can actually damage your teeth. You need to hold the brush at a 45-degree angel to the surface and brush in small circles. You need to focus on a few teeth at a time and then move on. You need to make sure you hit all surfaces of your teeth and your tongue.

One things that will help you brush better is to watch what you are doing. If you watch what you are doing you can make sure you are hitting all surfaces of your teeth.

Make sure you don’t brush too hard or floss with a sawing motion as it can be traumatic for your gums causing irritation and recession. Brushing to hard can also cause erosion of the teeth, which can lead to sensitivity and even more decay.

Make sure you are using the right materials. Make sure you are using a soft bristled brush. If it is a medium or hard brush it can again cause erosion of the teeth. In some cases an electric tooth brush may really benefit you. Talk to your dental care team to find out which may be the best one for you.

A water pik can also be beneficial to some people. Check with your dental care team and find out how to use it. Make sure you always use it on the lowest setting possible to prevent erosion of your teeth.

You also need to make sure you are using the proper toothpaste. A toothpaste is an abrasive. Some more abrasive than others so make sure you are the right one so it won’t damage your teeth.

You need to make sure you are flossing at least once a day. Make sure you are using a long enough piece of floss. Make sure you don’t saw while flossing to prevent your gums from becoming irritated. Make sure you are wrapping it around each tooth.

Make sure you rinse after you brush and floss. Rinsing several times through out the day will also help.

Ask your dental care team about any of the techniques or tools you need to help make your mouth as healthy as possible. Log on to our website at LevineDental.com to get more tips and information in our patient information section. Follow along on facebook and twitter as well! Join the conversation and spread the Word of Mouth!