Maintaining your teeth

Our bodies play host to a number of bacteria, most of which are quite harmless, and indeed some of which are actually essential for a healthy life.

The mouth is no exception. Although mostly these are friendly bacteria, some which collect on our teeth can cause tooth decay and gum disease. We need to keep the numbers of these bacteria down to a minimum to prevent oral disease.

Effective Cleaning

Brushing and flossing are the most effective ways of cleaning teeth.

Brushing

Brushing cleans the top and sides of our teeth, and flossing cleans in between the teeth where a toothbrush cannot reach.

Choose a small enough toothbrush to reach all parts of your teeth. Large brushes tend to miss corners and are difficult to manoeuvre.

Squeeze a small amount of fluoride toothpaste onto your toothbrush. Place your toothbrush at a 45° angle along the gum margin. Gently vibrate your brush in a back and forth movement (do not scrub as this can damage the gums). Work all around the mouth on the sides of the teeth.

After this is complete, clean the biting surfaces of your teeth with a scrubbing motion. Finally, turn your toothbrush 90°, and clean the back surfaces of your very back teeth. You may find this approach easier on some of your front teeth too.

Flossing

To floss your teeth, cut a half-metre length of dental floss, and wrap a few turns around the middle finger of one hand and the rest around the middle finger of your second hand, leaving about 7cm loose in between. You can use your thumb and forefinger to manipulate this loose portion to access the spaces between your teeth.

Once you are through the contact, use a gentle up and down movement to clean the sides of both teeth along the space.

Alternative Cleaning Methods

If you find this a difficult routine to master, talk to us about alternatives: floss-holders (which can get rid of the need to wrap the floss around the fingers), wooden dental sticks, tiny bottle-brushes and electric flossing substitutes.

We need to brush our teeth for at least two minutes twice a day, in the morning and at bedtime, and use dental floss once a day. Big smiles, everyone!