Facts on Brushing
What is the best technique for brushing? There are a number of effective brushing techniques. Patients are advised to check with their dentist or hygienist to determine which is the best one for them since tooth position and gum condition vary. One effective, easy-to-remember technique involves using a circular or elliptical motion to brush a couple of teeth at a time, gradually covering the entire mouth. Place a toothbrush beside your teeth at a 45-degree angle and gently brush teeth in an elliptical motion. Brush the outside of the teeth, inside the teeth, your tongue and the chewing surfaces and in between teeth. Using a back and forth motion causes the gum surface to recede, or can expose the root surface or make the root surface tender. You also risk wearing down the gum line.
Soft or hard bristles?
In general, a toothbrush head should be small (1" by 1/2") for easy access. It should have a long, wide handle for a firm grasp. It should have soft, nylon bristles with round ends. Some brushes are too abrasive and can wear down teeth. A soft, rounded, multi-tufted brush can clean teeth effectively. Press just firmly enough to reach the spaces between the teeth as well as the surface. Medium and hard bristles are not recommended.
How long should I brush?
It might be a good idea to brush with the radio on, since dentists generally recommend brushing 3-4 minutes, the length of an average song. Using an egg timer is another way to measure your brushing time. Patients generally think they're brushing longer, but most spend less than a minute brushing. To make sure you're doing a thorough job and not missing any spots, patients are advised to brush the full 3-4 minutes twice a day instead of brushing quickly five or more times through the day.
Should I brush at work?
Definitely, but most Americans don't brush during the workday. Dentists say it's a good idea to keep a toothbrush in your desk, which increases the chances that you'll brush during the day by 65 percent, according to a recent survey released by Oral-B Laboratories and the Academy of General Dentistry. Getting the debris off teeth right away stops sugary snacks from turning to damaging acids, and catches starchy foods like potato chips before they turn to cavity-causing sugar. If you brush with fluoride toothpaste in the morning and before going to bed, you don't even need to use toothpaste at work. You can just brush and rinse before heading back to the desk. If you don't have a toothbrush, rinsing your mouth with water for 30 seconds after lunch also helps.
The following
tips may improve your
work-time brushing
habits:
Post a sticky note on
your desk or computer
at work as a reminder
to brush teeth after
lunch. Brush teeth right
after lunch, before
you become absorbed
in work. Store your
toothbrush and toothpaste
at work in a convenient
and handy place. Make
brushing your teeth
part of your freshening
up routine at work.
Facts on Flossing
Plaque is a sticky layer
of material containing
germs that accumulates
on teeth, including
places where toothbrushes
can't reach. This can
lead to gum disease.
The best way to get
rid of plaque is to
brush and floss your
teeth carefully every
day. The toothbrush
cleans the tops and
sides of your teeth.
Dental floss cleans
in between them. Some
people use waterpiks,
but floss is the best
choice.
Should I floss?
Yes. Floss removes plaque
and debris that adhere
to teeth and gums in
between teeth, polishes
tooth surfaces, and
controls bad breath.
Floss is the single
most important weapon
against plaque, perhaps
more important than
the toothbrush. Many
people just don't spend
enough time flossing
or brushing and many
have never been taught
to floss or brush properly.
When you visit your
dentist or hygienist,
ask to be shown.
Which type
of floss should I
use?
Dental floss comes in
many forms: waxed and
unwaxed, flavored and
unflavored, wide and
regular. Wide floss,
or dental tape, may
be helpful for people
with a lot of bridgework.
Tapes are usually recommended
when the spaces between
teeth are wide. They
all clean and remove
plaque about the same.
Waxed floss might be
easier to slide between
tight teeth or tight
restorations. However,
the unwaxed floss makes
a squeaking sound to
let you know your teeth
are clean. Bonded unwaxed
floss does not fray
as easily as regular
unwaxed floss, but does
tear more than waxed
floss.
How should
I floss?
There are
two flossing methods: the
spool method and the
loop method. The spool
method
is suited for
those with manual
dexterity. Take an
18-inch piece of floss
and wind the bulk
of
the floss lightly
around the middle
finger. (Don't cut
off your finger's
circulation!)
Wind the rest of the
floss similarly around
the same finger of the
opposite hand. This
finger takes up the
floss as it becomes
soiled or frayed. Maneuver
the floss between teeth
with your index fingers
and thumbs. Don't pull
it down hard against
your gums or you will
hurt them.
Don't rub
it side to side as if
you're shining shoes.
Bring the floss up and
down several times forming
a "C" shape
around the tooth being
sure to go below the
gum line.
The loop method is suited
for children or adults
with less nimble hands,
poor muscular coordination
or arthritis. Take an
18-inch piece of floss
and make it into a circle.
Tie it securely with
three knots. Place all
of the fingers, except
the thumb, within the
loop. Use your index
fingers to guide the
floss through the lower
teeth, and use your
thumbs to guide the
floss through the upper
teeth, going below the
gumline forming a "C" on
the side of the tooth.
How often
should I floss?
At least once a day.
To give your teeth a
good flossing, spend
at least two or three
minutes.
What about floss
holders?
You may prefer a prethreaded
flosser or floss holder,
which often looks like
a little hacksaw. Flossers
are handy for people
with limited dexterity,
for those who are just
beginning to floss,
or for caretakers who
are flossing someone
else's teeth.
Is it safe
to use toothpicks?
In a pinch, toothpicks
are effective at removing
food between teeth,
but for daily cleaning
of plaque between teeth,
floss is recommended.
Toothpicks come round
and flat, narrow and
thick. When you use
a toothpick, don't press
too hard as you can
break off the end and
lodge
it in your gums.
Do I need
a waterpick (irrigating
device)?
Don't use waterpicks
as a substitute for
toothbrushing and flossing.
But they are effective
around orthodontic braces
that retain food in
areas a toothbrush cannot
reach. However, they
do not remove plaque.
Waterpicks are frequently
recommended for persons
with gum disease when
recommended by your
dentist. Solutions containing
antibacterial agents
like chlorhexidine or
tetracycline, available
through a dentist's
prescription, can be
added to the reservoir.