5 Ways to Improve Your Dental Hygiene Routine

Dentist Blog

Everyone has heard the dentist say it: brush, floss, rinse. The underlying meaning is that you need to do all three of these tasks on a regular basis to keep your mouth healthy and avoid cavities and gingivitis. Sometimes doing these things can be a hassle though; flossing is hard, getting the right amount of toothpaste on your brush can be annoying, and sometimes you just don't have the time to rinse or brush.

However, they are important; brushing removes plaque that has built up on your teeth throughout the day, flossing removes plaque from between your teeth where a toothbrush cannot reach, and rinsing helps to remove particles from between your teeth so that you aren't brushing them out with each stroke. Here are 5 ways to improve your dental hygiene routine.

1. Use a timer

When you brush your teeth, you brush as long as it takes. However, most people are not as thorough as they should be when brushing. Instead of brushing for the amount of time that you have set aside for dental health, set a timer to make sure that you are brushing well enough. This will help to ensure that you are brushing evenly and for the full time that you need to be.

2. Use mouthwash more often

To rinse away any particles that end up in between your teeth from things like drinking or eating cold and hard foods, gargle with mouthwash daily in the mornings to further improve your dental hygiene routine and keep your gums healthy.

3. Use dental floss more often

Flossing is hard to do and, done incorrectly, can even be harmful to your gums. In order to ensure that you are flossing properly, first moisten the floss. This will allow the floss to move through your teeth easier and will pull out more particles than dry floss would.

4. Brush for at least 2 minutes at night

While brushing quickly in the morning before you head off to work or school is great for keeping your mouth clean, brushing for longer helps with further plaque removal and keeping a healthy mouth. In order to clean all of your teeth, it is recommended to brush for around 1 to 2 minutes once a day, at least three times a week. In addition, if you learn to brush well in the morning, the evening is the perfect time for you to continue and let your mouth relax.

5. Use a fluoride toothpaste

Fluoride is crucial to make sure that your teeth are as healthy as they can be. Fluoride is most effective when used daily; it strengthens teeth and prevents cavities from forming. Fluoride also fights against gum disease by strengthening the integrity of your gums so that bacteria cannot grow in them and create an infection.

A dentist can advise you about any of these tactics for keeping your mouth clean and healthy.

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13 April 2021

Dental Checkups: Preparing for Your Checkup

Hi! My name is Sarah, and as a busy professional, I understand the importance of making the most of my time. That includes everything from having productive working lunches to making the most of my dental checkups. I have created this blog to help you maximise your dental checkups. In these posts, you can learn how to prepare for your checkup, which questions to ask during your checkup and more. I am also going to have posts explaining why checkups are critical to your dental health as well as the health of your entire body. Happy reading, and thanks for visiting my blog!