A beautiful, healthy smile that lasts a lifetime is our ultimate goal when treating patients.  Your personal home care plays an important role in achieving that goal.  Your personal home care starts by eating balanced meals, reducing the number of snacks you eat, and correctly using the various dental aids that help control the plaque and bacteria that cause dental disease.

Tooth brushing – Brush your teeth at least twice a day (especially before going to bed at night) with an electric toothbrush and Stannous fluoride containing tooth paste.  Place the brush at a 45 degree angle to the gums being careful not to press the electric tooth brush head too hard against the teeth.  Remember, let the electric tooth brush do the brushing for you. 

1. Brush the outer, inner, and biting surfaces of each tooth.
   
2. Use the tip of the brush to clean the inside of the front teeth.
   
3. Brush your tongue to remove bacteria and freshen your breath.

We recommend the following electric tooth brushes: Oral B, Sonicare, Suri (environmentally sustainable), and Burst (low cost).  The best manual toothbrushes are: Nimbus and Cocobrush (which uses recycled plastic). We recommend toothpaste with Stannous Fluoride, or Tom's Rapid Relief for sensitivity (in conjunction with a fluoride containing toothpaste). 

Flossing – Daily flossing is the best way to clean between the teeth and under the gumline.  Flossing not only helps clean these spaces, it disrupts plaque colonies from building up, preventing damage to the gums, teeth, and bone.

1. Take 12-16 inches (30-40cm) of dental floss and wrap it around your middle fingers, leaving about 2 inches (5cm) of floss between the hands.
   
2. Using your thumbs and forefingers to guide the floss, gently insert the floss between teeth using a sawing motion.
   
3. Curve the floss into a “C” shape around each tooth and under the gumline.  Gently move the floss up and down, cleaning the side of each tooth.

We love and use Cocofloss which is like a loofah for your teeth.  We do not recommend Glide floss as it does not pull debris or bacteria out from between the teeth. Floss holders are recommended if you have difficulty using conventional floss.

Rinsing – It is important to rinse your mouth with water after brushing and after meals if you are unable to brush.  If you are using an over-the-counter product for rinsing, it’s a good idea to consult with your dentist or dental hygienist on its appropriateness for you.

Use other dental aids as recommended by your dentist or dental hygienist:  interdental brushes, rubber tip stimulators, tongue cleaners, irrigation devices, fluoride, medicated rinses, etc., can all play a role in good dental home care.