Oral Hygiene Instructions

Brushing  

Proper brushing minimizes the risks for tooth decay and gum disease.  Brush your teeth for 2 minutes, 2 to 3 times a day, with a soft-bristled brush to help remove soft plaque and food particles.  Your brush should be positioned at a 45-degree angle at the margin of the gumline.  Start at one corner of the upper arch, and gently brush in a circular motion working your way around the other side of your mouth.  Then start brushing the “tongue side” of your teeth in one corner, and work your way to the other corner.  Repeat these steps on the lower arch.  Plaque and food particles can also attach to biting surfaces and your tongue.  It is recommended that these surfaces be brushed as well.  Your toothbrush should be changed every 3 months. 

Flossing

Clean “hard to reach” spaces between your teeth daily with once a day flossing.  Tooth damaging bacteria linger between teeth where bristles can’t reach.  Floss removes plaque and food particles between teeth and under the gumline.  Wrap an 18-24 inch piece of floss around your middle fingers.  Be sure to leave about 1 inch of floss between your hands.  Use your thumbs and index fingers to guide floss between teeth.  Wrap the floss around the sides of each tooth, making a “C” shape, and rub up and down 2-3 times. This will help ensure that you remove plaque on each side of the tooth.

Proxabrush

Proxabrush cleaners can remove dental plaque from areas between the teeth most commonly missed by toothbrushing alone.  These are easy to use for cleaning between natural teeth, around crowns, bridges, dental implants and orthodontic appliances.  Gently place the proxabrush between teeth and rub back and forward 2-3 times.  There are different sizes that will fit for different spaces.  These should be changed after each use.