Cleaning your teeth is a daily habit that most of us have been doing since we were young. However, you need to clean your teeth properly to achieve the benefits of good oral hygiene.
You do not have to be a trained dentist to do an excellent job with teeth cleaning. You just have to know the proper technique!
How to Properly Clean Your Teeth in 5 Steps
You should incorporate a few essential habits into your daily teeth cleaning routine.
Brush and Toothpaste
First, the fundamentals. Gently brush all sides of your teeth with fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristle brush. Hard bristle brushes may be too tough on the enamel of your teeth and tend to do a less thorough job with cleaning. You should also replace your toothbrush every few months.
Proper Brushing Technique
Second, technique. When brushing your teeth, use small circular motions and move the brush back and forth with small strokes. Using this proper brushing technique ensures that you don’t leave any unwanted particles or bacteria behind.
Cleaning Your Gums and Tongue
Third, make sure to clean your entire mouth, including your gums and tongue. You should brush gently along your gum line and lightly brush your tongue. Your gums and tongue tend to harbor bacteria that can damage your teeth if not removed.
Floss
Cleaning the visible surfaces of your teeth is only half the battle. You also need to clean in between your teeth. The best way to do this is with dental floss or a water flosser. If dental floss is too difficult to manage, you can also try pre-threaded flossers.
Flossing in between your teeth ensures that all surfaces of your teeth are getting a proper clean.
Rinse
Finally, it is important to rinse after you brush your teeth and floss. A proper rinsing flushes away all of the leftover particles and bacteria in your mouth, leaving it clean and sanitary.
It is critical to take these steps each day to ensure your teeth are cleaned properly. If you skip a day or two, bacteria and unwanted particles can harden, making it difficult to remove. Taking just a few minutes a day to properly clean can add years of life to your healthy teeth.
Other Good Oral Hygiene Habits For Healthy Teeth
Teeth cleaning is really only one part of a holistic approach to good oral hygiene. While properly cleaning your teeth is an excellent step, other activities can help you avoid cavities, gum disease, and other oral health problems.
Additional Good Oral Hygiene Habits
- Seeing your dentist twice a year
- Avoiding acidic and sugary foods
- Eating a healthy diet
- Drinking more water
- Using a mouthwash
Following these practices in addition to proper cleaning will ensure that you avoid unnecessary visits to the dentist.
Dental Health Benefits of Proper Teeth Cleaning
You may think that good oral hygiene just means that you have clean teeth, but it does so much more than that. There are many benefits to proper daily teeth cleaning.
First, it prevents cavities and gum disease. Without proper teeth cleaning, plaque and tartar can form on your teeth, creating cavities and gum disease. Cavities and gum disease are uncomfortable and require attention from a dentist. They can even require surgery in advanced stages.
Second, it preserves your bright smile. We eat a lot of food and consume a lot of liquids over the course of a day. All of the dyes and coloring in these foods can affect the color of your teeth. The best way to keep your smile white and bright is with proper daily cleanings.
In addition to the mouth-related benefits of proper hygiene, proper teeth cleaning can also impact other parts of your body. The main reason is that oral bacteria can migrate from your mouth to other parts of your body, causing inflammation and other issues.
Some unexpected benefits to proper teeth cleaning include:
- Lower risk for kidney disease
- Minimized risk for certain cancers
- Better respiratory health
- Reduced risk of heart disease
- Reduced joint inflammation
Properly cleaning your teeth each day is the best way to keep oral bacteria at bay, improving your dental health & overall health.
Trust the Experts at Dental Implant and Aesthetic Specialists of Atlanta
Led by Dr. Brett Langston, the Dental Implant and Aesthetic Specialists team of Atlanta has over 100 years of combined experience. We are a full-service prosthodontics office that provides oral care services from teeth cleaning to dental implants and full mouth reconstruction.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment to clean your teeth or talk about other services like dental implants, veneers, or teeth whitening.