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We like to think we all have a pretty good idea of what makes up good oral hygiene right? Well sometimes even though we think we’re doing enough, it turns out we actually aren’t. We at UK Dental Specialists still see hundreds of people with signs of decay and gum disease and this is in the vast majority of cases caused by poor or a serious lack of good oral hygiene. With this in mind our dentist in St Albans has put together a comprehensive guide on how to manage your oral hygiene at home.
What delivers good oral hygiene?
When we talk about oral hygiene we’re talking about anything to do with cleaning our mouths, this includes teeth, tongue and gums. Oral hygiene goes beyond that of just brushing your teeth, but should be a holistic guide to general mouth maintenance.
Oral hygiene is so important because it’s the thing that’s going to stop you developing things like decay and gum disease and in the dentistry world prevention is always better than cure!
Brushing
Our dentist in St Albans says that the most important element to your oral hygiene routine is brushing, but they stress how many people just aren’t hitting the right marks with it.
You should be brushing twice daily for at least two minutes at a time. You should be spending an equal amount of time on each quarter of your mouth. If you’re unsure as to whether or not you’re doing this then a good idea is to start timing your brushes. If you do this for a couple of weeks your muscle memory will start to kick in and you’ll naturally start to brush your teeth for long enough.
Technique
Now there’s the age-old electric vs manual argument and to be honest there’s no real right or wrong answer. We see patients who have electric toothbrushes who still don’t do a good enough job and we see patients with manuals who do, really it all comes down to whether you’re incorporating good technique into your brushing.
Our dentist in St Albans says good technique will include the following: brushing in circular motions as well as back and forth and paying close attention to the gum line as this is where all the germs tend to linger and multiply. If you’re unsure of your technique then don’t be embarrassed to ask us when you’re next in the practice!
Flossing
Flossing is so neglected and it’s such a shame as it’s really a great friend to anyone wanting to keep their gums healthy. Flossing is the only way in which you can get deep down between the teeth and gums and get rid of trapped debris and bacteria! Flossing can feel time consuming to begin with, but once you get yourself into a good routine it’s actually very simple.
Check-ups
Lots of people don’t think of check-ups as being part of their oral hygiene routine, but they are! If you want to make sure your teeth are in good health then you need to be making regular trips to see us! Just because you don’t see any concerning symptoms doesn’t mean we won’t!