Type in “How do you brush teeth” into Google and you will find 15.5 million articles discussing the most basic oral health practice. Here’s a foolproof guide to keeping your teeth pearly white:
- Two Brushes a Day Keeps the Dentist Away – Brushing for two minutes twice a day is the bare minimum to maintaining a healthy smile. If you can, consider brushing three times a day to keep your chompers clean and your breath smelling great.
- Stop Singing ‘Happy Birthday’ – A common rule of thumb for the amount of time it should take to brush your teeth is the time it takes you to hum the Happy Birthday song. Ditch the kids song and instead plan on spending two minutes in front of the mirror. Divide up your mouth into four sections and spend about 30 seconds really cleaning each quadrant.
- Check the Technique – Hold your brush at a 45-degree angle to your gums and make short up-and-down motions. Wide, side-to-side strokes can cause scrapes along your gum line so avoid those. Brush outer and inner tooth surfaces, back molars and don’t forget your tongue!
- Floss – A critical component to a clean and healthy mouth is dislodging any bits of food from your teeth, with floss. Flossing is simple: wind 18 inches of floss around the middle fingers of each hand, pinch floss between thumbs and index fingers, gently guide floss between teeth by using a zig-zag motion and then slide the floss up and down against the tooth surface to remove any residue and food. Flossing isn’t just for keeping teeth clean; in fact, it’s an important tool to fight against bad breath.
If you ever need help keeping your smile bright, you can always come visit the dentist. Our Solea dental laser provides you with virtually anesthesia-free procedures so you can get in and get out of the office quickly and easily.