Oral Hygiene
Oral Hygiene
Why Is Oral Hygiene So Important?
At some time in their life, three out of four adults will be affected with tooth loss due to periodontal disease. In adults over the age of 35, tooth loss is a direct result of periodontal disease and not cavities.
Bacterial plaque causes periodontal disease and decay. Plaque builds up along the gum line and is constantly forming on your teeth. Plaque can be removed by thoroughly brushing and flossing daily. This will help remove the germs that cause periodontal disease.
How To Brush
Proper oral hygiene begins with brushing your teeth. You should brush the outer surface of your teeth in light, circular motions as you move along the surface. Make sure that the bristles can get between your teeth. Use the same techniques to clean the inside of your back teeth.
Brush vertically to clean the inside of the upper and lower front teeth and gently brush the gum.
Short strokes will clean the top surfaces of all your teeth.
Rinse your mouth by swishing to get any loose plaque out.
How To Floss
In the area between your teeth are the places that periodontal disease first shows up and it is very important to your oral hygiene to get to these areas clean.
Flossing will reach those areas and remove any plaque or food.
Gently place the floss between the teeth, curve it around the tooth, and slide it up and down. Make sure that you floss both teeth. Be gentle; do not cut the gum.
Rinse well when you are finished to get rid of the removed plaque or food.
Caring For Sensitive Teeth
Dental treatment may cause your teeth to become sensitive to hot and cold. Keep your mouth clean to avoid sensitive teeth.
Choosing Oral Hygiene Products
Making the right choice can be difficult with all the oral hygiene products available, so we will have some suggestions to assist you with choosing your dental products.
Electric toothbrushes can be used by most patients with excellent results. Oral irrigators need to be used in conjunction with brushing and flossing, however, they do not remove plaque.
The rubber tip on the handle of some toothbrushes is used to massage your gums after you have brushed your teeth.
Tiny brushes are used to clean between your teeth. Consult the dentist before using one of these; used improperly can cause gum damage.
Fluoride toothpastes and mouth rinses are helpful in reducing tooth decay; some as much as 40 percent. It is not recommended that the rinses be used by patients under the age of six years.
Tartar control toothpastes do reduce tartar above the gum line, but does not reach any tartar that lies under the gums where gum disease starts. They are not proven to be effective in the reduction of periodontal disease.
Professional Cleaning
Maintaining a daily regimen of brushing and flossing will go a long way to keeping tartar down, but there are always places that your brush and floss cannot reach. It is important to schedule routine professional cleanings to remove the additional calculus (tartar) and to maintain a relationship with your dentist to help you keep your teeth in the best possible condition. They will be able to spot early signs of periodontal disease and help you with an oral hygiene plan to combat it.
Nutrition
Good nutrition plays a large role in your dental health and oral hygiene.
Good dental health starts in what you put into your body. It isn’t enough to brush and floss, you need to watch what you eat and take care of your health.
Eating starchy foods like bread or cookies will allow the bacteria in your mouth feed on the starch. The bacteria produces acids that continue to attack your teeth for better than 20 minutes after you have eaten the starch.
These foods are less likely to cause you problems when they are eaten with a full meal due to the rise in saliva production during mealtime. This helps to neutralize the acids and it aids in rinsing away food particles.
Nuts, cheese, onions, and some teas, have been determined to slow decay causing bacteria.
Sticky and Starchy Foods to Avoid
- Crackers
- Breads
- Cookies
- Candy
- Granola bars
- Chewy fruit snacks
- Dried fruit
- Hard candy


