Dental Hygiene
Dental hygiene treatment is where the teeth are professionally cleaned together with oral hygiene education and demonstration of oral hygiene techniques for effective home cleaning. Regular dental examination and hygiene appointments will ensure you can maintain optimum oral health and hygiene.
Fight tooth decay and gum disease by brushing teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste. Brush every day, morning and night, for two minutes. Nighttime is the most important time to brush.
Brushing
Selecting a Toothbrush
Select a toothbrush with a small head. This will help you reach the back teeth and especially the areas between the tongue and lower back molars. Hard and stiff bristles can damage your teeth and gums. Choose a toothbrush with soft bristles. Change your toothbrush every three months or soon after the bristles start to wear out to ensure you always get a proper clean and help avoid harmful bacteria building up on the bristles.
Selecting a Toothbrush
Select a toothbrush with a small head. This will help you reach the back teeth and especially the areas between the tongue and lower back molars. Hard and stiff bristles can damage your teeth and gums. Choose a toothbrush with soft bristles. Change your toothbrush every three months or soon after the bristles start to wear out to ensure you always get a proper clean and help avoid harmful bacteria building up on the bristles.
Positioning the Brush
Toothbrush should be placed at a 45-degree angle back and forth in short, tooth-wide strokes. Be systematic and make sure that all areas of the teeth and gums are covered.
An easy way to cover all teeth is by dividing upper and lower teeth separately into front, left and right areas. Brush each area with short, tooth-wide strokes. Brush all the surfaces of all your teeth including the inner tooth surfaces and the chewing surfaces. Use the “toe” of the brush for the inner front tooth surfaces. And don’t forget to brush the top surface of your tongue.
Flossing
Brushing your teeth twice a day helps maintain a healthy smile by removing a sticky film of bacteria called plaque. However, bacteria can also be found between teeth, where your toothbrush can’t reach. Flossing helps remove plaque from between your teeth and around the gumline.
Use enough floss so you can hold the ends comfortably in your hands (about 45 cm). Wind the floss around both middle fingers and support it across your thumbs and index fingers. Floss at least once a day and remember to insert the floss gently with a side-to-side motion – don’t snap it into place. Hold your thumbs and index fingers closely together to guide the floss between your teeth using a gentle rubbing motion.
Flossing
Brushing your teeth twice a day helps maintain a healthy smile by removing a sticky film of bacteria called plaque. However, bacteria can also be found between teeth, where your toothbrush can’t reach. Flossing helps remove plaque from between your teeth and around the gumline.
Use enough floss so you can hold the ends comfortably in your hands (about 45 cm). Wind the floss around both middle fingers and support it across your thumbs and index fingers. Floss at least once a day and remember to insert the floss gently with a side-to-side motion – don’t snap it into place. Hold your thumbs and index fingers closely together to guide the floss between your teeth using a gentle rubbing motion.
Brushing and Flossing
- Curve the floss into a C shape around the tooth at the gumline in order to
clean the neck of the tooth. - Scrape the floss up and down moving the floss away from the gumline. Use a
clean segment of floss to repeat on the rest of your teeth. And remember to
floss the back side of the last tooth. - If you find it difficult handling floss you should get your dentist or hygienist to
show you again. Alternatively, you may want to use a commercial floss holder
or tie the floss in a loop.
Our team are committed to continual professional development and learning to ensure that our patients receive the best possible dental care.
Belvedere Court,
Belvedere Lawn,
Douglas Rd,
Douglas,
Cork, T12 WV9H
tel: (021) 429 5556
email: info@belvederedentalcare.ie