Brushing your teeth as recommended by your dental team is necessary if you want to keep your smile clean, attractive, and healthy. But it’s really about more than checking off an item on your daily to-do list; it’s about brushing the right way. If you are ready to improve the efficacy of your oral hygiene efforts, our O’Fallon dentists can help you.
When it comes to brushing plaque from your smile, technique makes a big difference. We recommend that you:
- Use small circular motions to buff away plaque from the flat front and back surfaces of your teeth.
- Move your brush back and forth to clean the pitted grooves of your molars, as this plaque is more difficult to dislodge.
- Apply gentle but consistent pressure. This is especially important when you are cleaning close to your gum line. Vigorous brushing can cause gum tissue damage as well as tissue recession. Too much pressure may also lead to enamel thinning and deterioration.
- Keep at it for a full two minutes. Many of our patients are surprised to learn that they should be brushing smiles for two minutes every morning and night. Brushing for two minutes helps to ensure that you adequately clean your smile, even while applying gentle pressure.
- Rinse thoroughly. As you brush your teeth you will loosen plaque, dental debris, and food particles. Many of these unwanted substances will be flushed out as you expectorate. However, in order to ensure that they don’t stick to your smile all day or all night, make sure to rinse your mouth vigorously with water or a specially formulated mouth rinse.
Taking little steps to care for your smile more effectively at home can add up to big changes when it comes to the long-term health and appearance of your smile. Our O’Fallon dentists are here and ready to talk if you have more questions or you want to schedule a consultation. We look forward to speaking with you!