Brushing

Home care is truly the most important part of good oral hygiene.

Plaque, the cause of decay, gum disease and bad breath, should be removed several times a day. In a perfect world, patients would brush and floss every time they eat or drink anything.

Brushing is more than putting a pleasant tasting toothpaste on a brush and sticking it in your mouth. Brushing must be done correctly to be effective. First of all, you should use a soft brush that will mold or conform itself to the varied surfaces of your teeth.

Start with the outer surfaces of your upper teeth. Lay the edge of the tooth brush on the gum and make gentle circular movements over the teeth. The outer surfaces of your lower teeth should be cleaning in the same way.

Next move to the inner surfaces of your upper and lower back teeth. Repeat the same movements used for the outer surfaces.

The inner surfaces of your upper and lower front teeth can be cleaned by placing the brush vertically behind the teeth and drawing the brush gently up and down several times.

The biting surfaces of your back teeth should be cleaned by placing the brush flat on the teeth and gently moving it forward and back.

You should use a new tooth brush every three months. Bacteria builds up on tooth brushes and cannot be removed effectively.