As a general dentist, teeth cleaning is one of the many services we offer our patients. Your teeth need to be cleaned by a dental hygienist every six months.
Has it been a while since you’ve seen a good dentist? Check out Dean Dental Solutions on North Little Rock: https://www.deandentalsolutions.com/
Frequency
Most patients have this down. It’s important that you are brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing once a day. It’s a good idea to space out your brushing routines so there is at least a few hours between brushes.
Don’t brush your teeth within 30 minutes to an hour of eating. Chewing food weakens your enamel. Your mouth and saliva need time to neutralize acidic levels and build your enamel back to full strength. Your enamel has a greater risk of decaying if you brush your teeth right before a meal or right after a meal.
When is the best time to brush your teeth? First thing in the morning and before you go to bed. Mornings and bedtimes are our most rigid times of the day. Most of us have a routine to help ease the stress at the beginning and the end of the day. Incorporate brushing into this routine to lower your chances of forgetting.
Technique
Do you tend to get more cavities on one side of your mouth than the other? This might have something to do with a poor brushing or flossing technique.
Here are a few tips to improve your brushing technique.
- When you brush, think of your mouth as quadrants: upper right, upper left, lower right, lower left. This will help you to remember to brush every tooth in your mouth. If you mindlessly brush your teeth, chances are, you’re missing a few.
- Brushing your teeth should take 2 minutes—that is 30 seconds per quadrant for those of you keeping score. Brush the chewing surface of your tooth, the outer side, and the inner side.
- Are you brushing with too much passion?—Or possibly in too much of a hurry? You should only need to replace your toothbrush every three to four months. If you are going through toothbrushes faster than that, it is time to slow down. Don’t think “scrub” as you run your toothbrush over your teeth at a 45° angle, think “massage”. Your enamel will thank you.
Tools
Are you fighting plaque and protecting your teeth from decay with the right kind of tools? If you have sensitive teeth, or are prone to decay, your dentist might recommend special toothbrushes and toothpastes for you to use.
I didn’t realize that you shouldn’t brush your teeth right after eating because your enamel is in a weakened state. That is definitely a mistake I have made in the past. By the same logic, you probably wouldn’t want to eat on the way to scheduled dental cleaning since they will be working on your teeth. If you had to, would drinking a smoothie or protein shake be okay?