Does your at-home oral hygiene routine need a boost? Today, our dentists in Pickering offer 5 tips to help. Often, our patients are not getting the most out of their at-home dental care, so we'll help rectify that here.
Professional dental cleanings are essential for removing tartar that has built up on your teeth - and for spotting any oral health issues. They should not be replaced with only at-home care options. That said, maintaining a thorough at-home care regiment can help to significantly limit the buildup of plaque and tartar between appointments. Read these 5 tips for oral hygiene to help take your at-home care routine to the next level.
1) Use a Timer
You've probably heard that you should brush your teeth twice a day for at least 2 minutes each time. Many people attempt to track their 2 minutes mentally while brushing their teeth and end up under brushing. Using a timer or stopwatch like the one you can find on most smartphones can make a difference and help ensure you brush for the correct amount of time.
Bonus tip: You might also consider trying an electric toothbrush. Electric toothbrushes with built-in timers that buzz or vibrate after they've been running for two minutes are particularly useful.
2) When Brushing, Think of Your Mouth as Having Four Quadrants.
You might find it useful to divide your upper and lower jaws into four equal sections mentally while you brush to help you visualize your teeth: upper left, upper right, lower left, and lower right.
During your two-minute brushing time, aim to spend about 30 seconds brushing the fronts, backs, and chewing surfaces of all teeth in one quadrant before moving onto the next. This can help you make sure you're giving all of your teeth equal care, and not accidentally neglecting some teeth in favour of others.
3) Try Pulling Your Floss into a C-Shape
Flossing is an important aspect of good oral hygiene. To get the most out of your flossing, you generally don’t want to just saw the floss up and down between your teeth a couple of times.
For best results, one should pull the floss into a c-shape around a tooth, and gently move it up and down the sides. Then repeat the same steps on the other tooth by pulling your floss into a c-shape in the opposite direction. Think of the C as hugging the tooth being flossed, curving around its form.
This will help ensure that each tooth gets a careful cleaning.
4) Keep Your Floss in Plain Sight
If you tend to forget to floss after brushing your teeth, you’re letting bacteria and food particles linger in those tight areas. This can result in tooth decay and bad breath over time, so it really is important to try to remember.
If you have trouble remembering to floss, start leaving your floss out in plain sight, somewhere you’re sure to see it. Ideally, keep it right next to your toothpaste and toothbrush. It might seem overly simple, but sometimes little changes like this can have a massive impact on your ability to develop new habits.
5) Replace Your Toothbrush Regularly
Your toothbrush is a hardworking tool, and it will begin to wear down pretty quickly. You should replace your toothbrush every three months at a minimum, but more frequently if it starts to show wear sooner.
To help you determine when to replace your toothbrush, take a good look at it. If the bristles are bent, frayed or flattened, it’s probably time to get a new toothbrush. Many toothbrushes have bristles that are blue in colour. The blue will start to fade over time, and when it’s about half gone you should replace your toothbrush.