How To Brush for Proper Oral Hygiene
At Panoramic Dental, we're proud to help patients throughout Walnut Creek maintain healthy, beautiful smiles through comprehensive dental treatment. But as much as the preventive and cosmetic dental treatments we provide in our office are important to your smile, how you care for your teeth at home matters just as much. Brushing your teeth is the cornerstone to any oral hygiene regimen, and if you're wondering about the best way to brush your teeth for proper oral hygiene, we can help.
What Kind of Toothbrush Should I Use?
The first step to proper brushing is choosing the right toothbrush – and here, you've got options.
At our practice, we always recommend using a soft-bristle toothbrush. Toothbrushes are available with hard bristles, medium bristles, soft bristles, and extra soft bristles, and while it's true that harder bristles will remove more plaque from the teeth, they come with serious drawbacks. Medium and hard-bristle toothbrushes may remove more plaque and bacteria, but they also erode tooth enamel and are much more likely to damage the gums, contributing to gum recession and leaving the tooth roots exposed and vulnerable to cavities.
Another great option for many people is an electric toothbrush. While electric brushes aren't necessary to properly clean the teeth, they can make the process a little easier and help ensure you're using proper technique.
Proper Brushing Technique
After choosing the right toothbrush, you'll need to ensure you're brushing with the proper technique. Start by using a pea-sized amount of toothpaste, wetting the brush, then gently brushing the teeth with small, circular motions. Angle the brush downwards towards the gums when brushing the front and back of the teeth, and use straight back-and-forth movements to brush the chewing surfaces. Be sure to thoroughly brush all of the exposed tooth area to ensure you're removing bacteria and protecting your teeth from cavities.
Contact Your Walnut Creek Family Dentist
We hope this helps you ensure you're using proper technique when brushing your teeth, and as always, we're here to help if you still have questions. Give us a call at 925-934-3251 to learn more about proper oral hygiene techniques or to schedule your next dental check-up at our office. We can't wait to hear from you, and we wish you luck in keeping your teeth clean and protecting yourself from cavities!