Coquitlam dentist, Family dentist in Coquitlam, Vancouver, BC
Prevention: Brushing and Flossing
The importance of oral hygiene
Gum disease (periodontal disease) effects many adults over the age of 35, in fact adults lose more teeth to gum disease when compared to cavities. Cavities as well as periodontal disease can be prevented by utilizing proper tooth brushing and flossing habits on a daily basis.
How to brush
When brushing, we recommend to position the tooth brush at a 45 degree angle and move the tooth brush gently in a circular motion. Using soft pressure and gentle strokes, brush the outside of your teeth. Do not use excessive force and ensure you are not experiencing any discomfort while brushing.
Once you are done cleaning the outside of your teeth, repeat the above process while brushing the inside of your back teeth.
When cleaning the upper and lower front teeth, we recommend to hold the tooth brush in a vertical position. Stroke the tooth brush back and fourth several times over each tooth as well as the gum tissue around your teeth.
The following step will be to brush the biting surfaces of your teeth. This is done by utilizing short, soft brush strokes while varying the angle of the tooth brush as required to ensure you clean all areas of your teeth.
Once you are done brushing, rinse actively in order to abolish plaque which may have become loosened when brushing.
Flossing your teeth
Gum disease generally occurs in areas of your mouth where your toothbrush is unable to clean. Flossing is a great way to get rid of plaque and will work best and effectively with the proper flossing technique.
We recommend using an arms length of waxed dental floss. Wrap a portion of dental floss around the index finger of your left hand and wrap the rest on the index finger of your other hand.
In order to clean the top teeth, hold the dental floss snug between your thumb and index finger of each hand and place the floss between the desired teeth and begin flossing using a back and fourth motion. It is important not to put excessive pressure while flossing otherwise you can cause the dental floss to break. Lower the floss down to the gum line and gently slide the floss between your gums and your tooth. Between each tooth that you floss, 2 areas require cleaning. As the floss becomes warn, unwind from your finger and use a fresh section.
In order to clean the bottom teeth, use a similar technique as above by utilizing your index finger.
When you are done flossing ensure you rinse your mouth with in order to remove any particles of food or plaque which may have been removed when flossing.
