9 Tried and Tested Tips to Maintain Optimum Dental Hygiene

Brushing your teeth religiously twice a day is not enough for a strong and healthy mouth, says a prominent dentist in London. Even a comprehensive dental hygiene routine may leave gaps to damage and decay your teeth and the gums when you dare ignoring certain apparently trivial matters.

In the following paragraphs, a qualified dental hygienist in central London shares some tips to ensure your optimum oral hygiene.

1. Focus On Proper Brushing Technique

A quick brushing of the teeth is never enough to remove the food particles trapped between the teeth. It is also not adequate to remove the harmful plaque build-up. You should rather develop the proper brushing skills.

• Hold the brush at 45 degree angle to the teeth
• Apply gentle pressure while brushing
• Make short forth and back strokes across the three surfaces of the teeth

2. Sufficient Brushing Time

Ideally you should brush for about 2 minutes in each session. It is difficult removing plaque build-up when you brush for less than 2 minutes. You may damage the teeth enamel when you continue brushing longer.

3. Select the Right Brushing Tool

Use a toothbrush that has soft bristles. A toothbrush with a small head and tiny bristles can easily cover the sharp and inaccessible angles between the teeth to bring out stuck food particles as well as plaque build-ups. Remember, without a proper toothbrush, you can’t properly brush your teeth.

4. Ask Your Dentist To Recommend Toothpastes And Other Products

Varieties of toothpastes exist in the market. These products not only vary in quality, strength and ingredients but are also meant to cater to the different needs of different target bases. Thus, oral healthcare professionals involved with dental hygiene in London suggest that you should request your regular dentist to recommend you suitable toothpaste and other relevant oral healthcare products.  

5. Proper Flossing Is Important

Just like proper brushing, proper flossing is equally important to protect the teeth from developing cavities. Ideally, a dental floss should be up to 18 inches in length. That allows you to use a fresh area of the floss every few teeth and keep the mouth more bacteria-free. Make sure the floss rubs against your teeth creating a ‘C’ shape either in the forward direction or backward.

6. Importance Of Mouthwash

A mouthwash reaches the most delicate parts of your mouth where a dental floss fails. Rinsing the mouth every day with a suitable mouthwash reduces your chances of developing gingivitis or gum disease. It also offers the best possible cleaning of the mouth when you’re on the go.

7. Keep Your Toothbrush Clean

Clean your toothbrush thoroughly every time after use. But do not keep it covered after cleaning to ensure greater protection of the mouth. A toothbrush cleaned and left under the covers is a breeding place for many bacteria that can affect your mouth. After rinsing thoroughly in water leave it in the open to dry. Never share your toothbrush with others including your children and vice versa.

8. Change The Toothbrush At Regular Intervals

A toothbrush has a fixed lifetime. Once the bristles start giving way, you should replace it. When you keep using the same toothbrush for over 3 months, the teeth fail to get cleaned of the harmful plaque build-ups from their surface. Change your toothbrush after every 3 to 4 months.

9. Importance Of A Tongue Scrapper

While brushing the teeth, it is important that you also clean the tongue. Use a tongue scrapper to clean the tongue religiously every day. It is an important step to keep the level of harmful bacteria in your mouth low. If you do not want to use a tongue scraper, make sure that you are brushing the tongue to keep it clean.  

Experienced cosmetic dentists in London suggest the tips discussed above to keep your teeth and gums strong, healthy and disease-free.