Here are some basic tips on how to clean your teeth and keep your gums healthy.
- Choose a soft-bristled toothbrush and replace it at least once every six months. Sterilize it periodically by pouring mouthwash over it.
- Brush your teeth at least twice a day, in the morning after breakfast and in the evening before bed. Use a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste on your brush. Aim your brush for the area between the neck of your tooth and your gum. Brush against your gum with round circular motion downward.
- Don’t brush your teeth too hard, or you can injure your gums and remove tooth enamel.
- Floss your teeth at least once a day, preferably before bed. Pick a one foot strand of floss. Slide it up next to the area between your tooth and gum line and slide it back out again to remove plaque buildup. Floss each side of each tooth in this manner.
- Purchase plastic dental picks with floss if you aren’t dexterous enough for a line of floss. These may be easier to maneuver and are especially good for children.
- Use an oral irrigator in place of flossing as an additional step to the cleaning process. Direct the stream of water along the gum line at a right angle. Hold the stream between each tooth for five or six seconds. Continue until all areas around and between teeth have been irrigated.
- Rinse your mouth with antiseptic mouthwash. Swish and gargle for the final step.
Source: News Straits Times - 1Klassifieds - Friday, October 1, 2010