|
A
patient guide to good oral hygiene
A healthy
smile begins with your dentist! Naturally, the best
smile is a natural one. Just like your car, your smile
needs regular maintenance to stay healthy your entire
life. Some of the ways a smile stays happy is through
basic cleaning and check-ups. Tooth decay is not always
painful and only a regular check-up with X-rays can
tell what lies below the surface of your teeth. A check-up
at least every six months can keep your pearly whites
in good health. Keeping a good smile also depends on
you, defending your teeth on the home front. Each day
your teeth are under attack by plaque which contains
bacteria. This plaque, when left on oral surfaces, can
cause infection of the gums and deterioration of the
teeth. Since plaque is most active between the teeth
it is most important to thoroughly brush at least two
times daily. Regular flossing helps get into the tighter
areas to remove plaque and has other health implications.
|
|
 |
- Brush
twice daily.
- Floss
on a regular basis.
- Eat
a healthy diet.
- Have
a check-up every 6 months.
- Ask
your dentist about the proper technique for home care.
PREVENTIVE CLEAN
means TOTALLY CLEAN
A greatly respected dentist recently made the statement,
"I don't care if my patients clean their teeth with
a lawn mower, as long as they clean them in a preventive
way everyday. He was referring, of course, to the
fact that preventive teeth cleaning
and proper function will not lead to tooth
decay and will not develop periodontal diseases (bone destroying
pyorrhea.)
- On
the cheek side
- On
the tongue side
- On
the biting surface
- Between
the teeth
- In
the crevice at the gumline
Regard preventive
teeth cleaning , dentist often talk about the FBI
cleansing technique referring to :
- Flossing
properly
- Brushing
thoroughly
- Irrigating
completely
Notice that flossing
heads the list. Therefore, though we talk about all three,
let's start with proper flossing techniques. Floss will reach
where the toothbrush cannot. It will clean thoroughly below
the gum margin between the teeth and along the edges of existing
dentistry (crown & bridge, orthodontic appliances, etc.)
|
