How to clean your teeth: tips and tricks
Have you ever thought that maybe you are not cleaning your teeth properly ? Do you have doubts about how to clean your teeth?
As much as after each meal you proceed to clean your teeth, it is possible that the techniques you use are not correct. And if this is the case, the damages could be greater than the benefits that proper dental hygiene produces .
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If you do not clean your teeth well, over time your gums will suffer the aggressions of the brush bristles and your teeth will become more sensitive to heat or cold , in addition to losing their healthy appearance.
That is why it is very important that you follow the advice that we will give you in this post. They will be your step-by-step guide to learn how to clean your teeth for a lifetime.
What is the use of cleaning your teeth?
The basic function of tooth brushing is the elimination of bacterial plaque and the food residues that remain deposited after the ingestion of food on the external and internal faces of the teeth.
The plaque or oral biofilm is the main cause of diseases that affect the gums. Being an invisible bacterial film, people do not give it enough importance.
But if it is not removed in time, in a few hours it hardens and can become tartar ( to fight it it is necessary to go to a dentist ).
That is why it is convenient, together with the use of suitable toothbrushes, the use of dental flosses that complete the total cleaning.
How to clean the teeth: step-by-step guide
1. Flossing: avoiding cavities
Before brushing your teeth, it is convenient to use dental floss. A better cleaning is achieved , which prevents the appearance of caries and periodontal diseases with greater intensity.
Flossing is about removing the plaque and the residues that remain after meals, especially at the edges of the gums, which is the area in which tooth decay usually forms.
- Cut a piece of more or less half a meter of dental floss .
- Wrap both ends of yarn around the middle fingers of each hand, keeping the thread in tension with a distance between both hands of 2 or 3 centimeters .
- Introduce the silk gently between the teeth with a saw movement until you reach the gum.
- Once it contacts the gum, the small portion of taut thread will curve, taking the shape of a letter C against each tooth . Then you should carefully slide into the space between the tooth and the gum until some resistance is found.
- The removal of bacterial plaque and food debris occurs when the thread is rubbed against the teeth .
Repeat this operation in each interdental space to perform a proper cleaning of bacterial plaque.
2. The interproximal brush: cleaning the spaces between teeth
The interproximal brush is a small brush that is used to clean properly the spaces between the teeth , when they are more separated than normal and the floss loses effectiveness.
There are different types and sizes of interproximal brushes depending on the space that needs to be cleaned.
Let's see how you have to use it.
- Insert the brush into the hole loosely. To know which is the right brush you have to keep in mind that it must be the filaments - and not the wire - that contact the internal faces of the teeth .
- Move it from the inside out without performing rotations .
3. Brushing teeth: to brush!
By brushing the inner, outer and chewed sides of all the teeth and molars, you will finish cleaning the chewing area of the mouth.
You just need to follow these 5 steps.
- Place the brush head on the teeth at an angle of 45 degrees to the plane of the teeth . The bristles of the brush should be placed on the point of contact between the teeth and the gums.
- You should not rub hard , since brushing too hard for years can produce a retraction of the gums. The movement of the brush should be smooth, with circular massage on both sides of the teeth, up and down.
- Clean the chewing surfaces by placing the brush filaments on them and moving the head horizontally .
- The brushing of the teeth should last more than two or three minutes .
Each week it is convenient to reverse the order that is followed during brushing .
Almost everyone tends to always perform the brushing in the same way and in the same order, with what usually remain parts on which it deepens less (even some never get to clean).
Changing weekly the usual cleaning pattern will get better results.
4. Cleaning the tongue: the final touch
Many patients do not know that the tongue is the area of the mouth in which more bacteria are deposited .
If it is not cleaned properly, the bacteria decompose and produce bad breath. Therefore, during the cleaning of the teeth you should not forget this area and you should follow this procedure:
Remember that many toothbrushes have on the back of a tongue cleaner . In case your brush does not have it, you must acquire one.
- It should start with the central part of the tongue. Remove the tongue and insert the tongue cleaner to the furthest part of the tongue .
- Rub the cleanser over the center of the tongue towards the front of the mouth . It is likely that this action provokes gagging the first few days, if the tongue is excessively squeezed. But this feeling disappears as soon as you get used to it regularly.
- After each pass with the cleaner, rinse it with water to eliminate bacteria and residues.
- The sides of the tongue are cleaned with the smooth face of the cleaner .
Rinse with mouthwash
Oral hygiene would not be complete if, after these steps, you do not perform a deep rinse with an antiseptic mouthwash .
The normal thing is to introduce in the mouth an approximate amount of about 5 ml. of liquid and perform gargles and movements of the liquid throughout the interior of the mouth for at least 30 seconds .
So that its antiseptic action is not lost, unless it is specifically indicated, the product should not be diluted with water.
What products should I choose for my tooth brushing?
There are many different products on the market, many of them specific for certain diseases or dental diseases.
It is very convenient that it is the dentist himself who recommends the toothpaste, brush type or mouthwash most suited to your morphology and common pathologies.
Have you had any questions about how to brush your teeth?
If you live or work in the area of Alcobendas and San Sebastian de los Reyes, do not hesitate to stop by our Avodent clinic to answer any questions or queries that you have to ask us about tooth brushing.
We will be happy to assist you and help you learn how to clean your teeth also on 91 654 17 13 or on our online appointment form.