Oral Hygiene Guidelines
Good oral hygiene is the key to oral health. Brushing and flossing help to prevent dental decay, gum disease and bad breath.
In addition to home care, regular visits to our dental hygienist ensures that areas which are difficult to clean, such as below the gum-line are thoroughly cleaned.
We advise that your teeth are professionally cleaned every six months to remove a build-up of tartar which normal brushing cannot remove.
We recommend that you brush your teeth at least twice daily, morning and night. Some people find it useful to look in the mirror to check that they are brushing correctly as they were shown by their dentist or hygienist.
Brushing does not clean between your teeth. This needs to be done by using floss, tape or interdental brushes. Ideally, flossing should be done every day.
Brushing Guidelines
- Use a pea-sized amount of fluoridated toothpaste.
- Use a soft-bristled toothbrush unless we advise you otherwise.
- Use gentle pressure to brush teeth and gums so as to avoid damage to the gums
- Position the brush at a 45° angle at the point where your teeth and gums meet.
- Using gentle pressure, brush the outside surface of your teeth with a back and forth circular motion cleaning two to three teeth at a time.
- Using the same technique, brush the inside surfaces of your teeth.
- Proceed to the biting surfaces, again using gentle pressure.
- Two to three minutes of effective brushing should be sufficient to ensure that these surfaces of the teeth are cleaned.
- Spit out excess toothpaste but do not rinse out your mouth. Rinsing out washes away the beneficial effects of the toothpaste.
- You should change your toothbrush approximately every three months.
- Electric toothbrushes can be helpful for people with reduced manual dexterity.
- Correct brushing technique is essential for effective brushing. Demonstrations are an integral part of any cleaning treatment at Delaney's.
Flossing Guidelines
- Cut a 12-18 inch (30-35 cm) approx length of floss.
- Wrap it around index or middle fingers leaving about 3 inches (8 cm) between fingers.
- For top teeth, use your thumbs to gently slide the floss between each tooth.
- Wrap the floss around one side of the tooth at a time in a C shape and, gently following the contour of your teeth, aim to bring plaque from the gum towards the top of the tooth.
- For bottom teeth, use your index or middle fingers to gently push the floss down and clean both sides of each tooth.
- Do not damage gums using aggressive flossing.
- The best way to ensure you are flossing correctly is to ask one of our dentists or our dental hygienist to show you how to do this.
Interdental Brushing Guidelines
- Choose a brush size that fits between the teeth with only a small resistance.
- Different brush sizes may be necessary for teeth with different gaps between them.
- If in any doubt about which size of brush to use. we will be happy to advise you.
- If you need to push, it is too big and can cause damage to the gum.
- Insert the brush and once between the teeth, gently follow the contour of each tooth, slightly below the gum line.
- Keep your brushes clean between uses, rinsing in tap water.