Our Hygienist, Alexis, Gives Some Home Oral Health Care Tips!

As a hygienist, what are some home care tips you give patients?

Some of the home care tips I give my patients are: I recommend that you floss your teeth first before you brush – removing all the plaque between your teeth, and then you can brush everything away. Another tip: I recommend every patient to change their toothbrush once every three months; electric toothbrush heads should also be changed every three months. Another tip is to reach the insides of your front teeth. I recommend that you rotate the toothbrush vertically and brush each tooth individually. The brushing technique is very important. You must use a soft-bristled toothbrush.

It’s the technique you use to clean your teeth, not the medium and hard-bristled toothbrushes that are not getting your teeth cleaner. So, I recommend a soft-bristled toothbrush; you must place the bristles at a 45-degree angle where half the bristles are on the gums and half the bristles are on the teeth. You’ll rotate the toothbrush in little circles, gently massaging the gums, concentrating on two teeth at a time, and moving the toothbrush until you’ve reached every area of the mouth, including the insides of all your teeth. You can finish by brushing your tongue. Brushing your tongue will remove bacteria and stains. It’ll freshen your breath and your whole mouth will be nice and clean.