Brushing
Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and a pea size amount of fluoride toothpaste. When you brush your teeth, move the brush in a small horizontal motion, covering 2-3 teeth at a time. Start at the gums to reach food particles that may be under your gum line and move towards the chewing surface of your teeth. You should spend roughly 30 seconds per quadrant, for a total of two minutes to thoroughly brush your teeth. Brush up on the lower teeth, down on the upper teeth and the outside, inside and chewing surface of all of your front and back teeth. Brush your tongue and the roof of your mouth before you rinse.
Brush your teeth four times daily to avoid the accumulation of food particles and plaque:
- In the morning after breakfast
- After lunch or right after school
- After dinner
- At bedtime
As soon as the bristles start to wear down or fray, approximately every three months, replace your toothbrush with a new one. Do not swallow any toothpaste. Rinse your mouth thoroughly with water after you finish brushing. It is important to carefully floss and brush daily for optimal oral hygiene.
Flossing
For areas between the teeth that a toothbrush can’t reach, dental floss is used to remove food particles and plaque. Dental floss is a thin thread of waxed nylon that is used to reach below the gum line and clean between teeth. It is very important to floss between your teeth every day to prevent gum disease.
Pull a small length of floss from the dispenser. Wrap the ends of the floss tightly around your middle or ring fingers. Guide the floss between all teeth to the gum line, pulling out any food particles or plaque. Unwrap clean floss from around your fingers as you go so that you have used the floss from beginning to end when you finish. Floss behind all of your back teeth.
Floss at night to make sure your teeth are clean before you go to bed. When you first begin flossing, your gums may bleed a little due to unhealthy tissue. If the bleeding does not go away after the first few times, let a staff member know at your next appointment.