Oral Hygiene
How to Brush
We recommend a soft or extra soft toothbrush. A brush should look fairly new after using it for 3 months. If not, you are applying too much pressure when you are brushing. Position the brush at a 45-degree angle where your gums and teeth meet. angling the bristles up for the upper teeth and down for the lower teeth. Try to position half the brush on the gum and half on the tooth. The goal is to work the end of the bristles gently below the gumline. Brush in a circular motion using small, gentle strokes, brushing 2-3 teeth at a time. Begin on the back side of the back tooth and work slowly around to the back side of the back tooth on the other side of your mouth, trying to spend a few seconds over each tooth. It should take 30-45 seconds to go around the outside of the upper teeth, the same for the inside of the upper teeth and the inside and outside of your bottom teeth. Adding this up, it should take at least 2-3 minutes to brush all the teeth.
Next you will clean the biting surfaces of your teeth. To do this use short, gentle strokes. Change the position of the brush as often as necessary to reach and clean all surfaces. Try to watch yourself in the mirror to make sure you clean each surface. After you are done, rinse vigorously to remove any plaque you might have loosened while brushing.
| Place bristles along the gumline at a 45-degree angle. Bristles should contact both the tooth surface and the gumline. |  |
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| Gently brush the outer tooth surfaces of 2-3 teeth using a vibrating circular rolling motion. Move brush to the next group of 2-3 teeth and repeat. |  |
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| Maintain a 45-degree angle with bristles contacting the tooth surface and gumline. Gently brush using a up and down and rolling motion along all of the inner tooth surfaces and gumline. |  |
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| Tilt brush vertically behind the front teeth. Make several up & down strokes using the front half of the brush. |  |
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| Place the brush against the biting surface of the teeth & use a gentle back & forth scrubbing motion. Do not brush the tongue . |  |
--Illustrations adapted by
and used courtesy of the John O. Butler Company--
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We often recommend the use of an electric toothbrush. The same technique applies as far as timing and positioning of the toothbrush, but the electric brush does the work for you as far as the stroke. We recommend the Sonicaire or Oral-B Braun electric brushes. Oral-B sells a Vitality rechargeable electric toothbrush for $20 which is very good for a singel user.
If you have any pain while brushing or have any questions about how to brush properly, please be sure to call the office.
How to Floss
Periodontal disease usually appears between the teeth where your toothbrush cannot reach. Flossing is a very effective way to remove plaque from those surfaces. However, it is important to develop the proper technique. The following instructions will help you, but remember it takes time and practice.
Start with a piece of floss about 18" long. Lightly wrap most of the floss around the middle finger of both hands. This leaves the tips of your index fingers or thumbs free to guide the floss between you teeth.
To clean the upper teeth, hold the floss tightly between the thumb and forefinger of each hand. Gently insert the floss tightly between the teeth using a back-and-forth motion. Do not force the floss or try to snap it in to place. Bring the floss to the gum line then curve it into a C-shape against one tooth. Slide it into the space between the gum and the tooth until you feel light resistance. Move the floss up and down on the side of one tooth. Remember there are two tooth surfaces that need to be cleaned in each space. Continue to floss each side of all the upper teeth. Be careful not to cut the gum tissue between the teeth. As the floss becomes soiled, turn from one finger to the other to get a fresh section.
To clean between the bottom teeth, guide the floss using the forefinger of both hands. Do not forget the backside of the last tooth on both sides, upper and lower.
When you are done, rinse vigorously with water to remove plaque and food particles. If you have soreness and bleeding while flossing, one of three things are generally true: 1. You are flossing too vigorously and/or popping the floss through the contact and cutting yourself 2. You are not flossing consistently. You must floss every day or the plaque will build up between flossings causing the gums to be inflamed and bleed easily 3. You have underlying periodontal disease with pockets too deep for the floss to reach. It will be our goal to reduce these pockets so that you can clean more effectively.
Caring For Sensitive Teeth
Sometimes after periodontal treatment, teeth are sensitive to hot, cold and sweets. If you perform proper plaque control techniques, the sensitivity most always will return to normal after a few months. If the mouth is not kept clean the sensitivity will remain and could become more severe. If your teeth are especially sensitive, consult Dr. Stewart or our dental hygienist, Leigh Ann. They may recommend a medicated toothpaste or mouth rinse made especially for sensitive teeth. Some patients tend to have sensitive teeth, even before treatment and it is certainly safe and usually effective to us a toothpaste such as Sensodyne or Crest Sensitivity Protection.
Other Oral Hygiene Products
Our first goal is to motivate and help patients floss and brush correctly. Once this is established as a foundation, other plaque control tools and techniques may be recommended, depending on your particular situation. Some of the tools we will consider are an oral irrigator "Water Pick",
brushes that clean between the teeth, rubber tip stimulators,
toothpicks and floss handles. We will customize a plaque control program depending on you abilities and needs.
Supportive Periodontal Therapy
Most of our patients with a history of periodontal disease remain on a 3-4 month schedule for Supportive Periodontal Therapy. At these appointments, your periodontal health is reevaluated, pockets remeasured and plaque control reviewed, in addition to a thorough cleaning above and below the gumline. This tight schedule of SPT forms the foundation of our periodontal treatment and is extremely important in maintaining your periodontal health.