Our patient Mark had always taken the time to prioritize his oral health. During one of Mark’s semi-annual dental cleanings, however, he mentioned that he was having trouble getting his teeth to feel “clean.” Our O’Fallon dentist took a look at Mark’s mouth, and found that he had accumulated a sizable amount of plaque and calcified tartar.
When our dental team talked to Mark, we found that he had started traveling for work, and that consequently he was flossing less frequently at night. Essentially, Mark’s regular daily schedule had been disrupted, and he had let flossing slip.
In order for Mark to regain his healthy smile, he needed to start flossing every day again. Our dental team gave him some tips on how to floss most effectively:
· When you start flossing, unravel a long strip of floss
· Then, starting at one end of the floss, wind the strip around your fingers
· As you move from tooth to tooth, use a new section of your large strip of floss
· When cleaning between your teeth, move your floss both vertically and horizontally to get as much plaque as possible
In order to help himself remember to floss, Mark tied an actual piece of floss around his toothbrush. Every time he opened his travel bag to brush his teeth, he saw that piece of floss and remembered that he needed to floss before he continued on with his oral hygiene routine.
Once Mark started flossing his teeth again, his smile quickly rebounded back to its healthy state. The good news for Mark is that we caught his plaque and tartar buildup right after it formed, so he was able to avoid a lot of long-term damage.
If you, like Mark, need a refresher on how to care for your teeth every day at home, give our O’Fallon dentist office a call!