Tuesday, October 1, 2013

How to Brush your Teeth

Everyone knows that brushing your teeth is important. The American Dental Association and your Dentist in Fountain Valley recommends brushing twice a day for at least two minutes with fluoride toothpaste to help prevent cavities and gum disease. Periodontal disease is the number one reason people lose their teeth. Recent studies also indicate that advanced gum disease to could to strokes and heart attacks.

Most people believe that a hard bristled toothbrush is better for teeth, but Hagen Dental will tell you that isn’t the case. Hard bristled toothbrushes can actually hurt your gums. Use a soft bristled tooth, which is much gentler. Make sure that your toothbrush is comfortable when holding and that the head is small enough to reach all of your teeth.
Before you begin, brushing wet your toothbrush first. Squeeze a small amount of fluoride toothpaste, about the size of a pea, onto your toothbrush. Putting too much tooth gel or paste on your toothbrush will cause it to over suds, which could tempt you to finish too soon.

Your Dentist in the OC recommends that you set the bristles on your toothbrush just at your gum line or a 45-degree angle. Instead of brushing across your teeth, brush in a circular motion.

According to your Fountain Valley Dentist, it is important that you spend about 15 seconds in each spot and brush two or three teeth at a time while working around your mouth making sure that you brush every tooth. It may help to divide your brushing into quadrants. Bottom right, bottom left, top right and top left. By dividing into quadrants, you will be able brush for 30 seconds on each quadrant getting your two minutes worth of brushing time.

Make sure that you brush your molars by positioning your toothbrush so that your bristles rest on the top of your molars on the bottom. Work in and out and move from the back to the front. Repeat on the opposite side. Once you have cleaned your bottom molars flip over your toothbrush and repeat on the top.

Dr. Hagen cannot stress enough how important it is to brush the insides of your teeth, as it is the most commonly skipped. Tip your toothbrush with the head pointed towards the gum line brushing each tooth on both your upper and lower teeth.

After you have finished brushing your teeth, use your toothbrush to brush your tongue being careful not to damage your tissue by brushing too hard. Brushing your tongue helps with bad breath.

Rinsing after you brush is optional as is mouthwash as there are conflicting debates. Some studies show rinsing has no impact on fluoride toothpaste, while others say it reduces the fluoride treatment of the toothpaste.

By following these simple instructions twice a day, flossing once a day and seeing your Orange County Dentist on a regular basis, you can help prevent tooth decay and gum disease.