We know that you’re already working hard to keep your smile clean and healthy day to day. However, even the most diligent dental patients can sometimes use a refresher on proper at-home dental care. Our Santa Monica dentists have put together this quick article with some tips on how to keep your smile as clean as possible. We hope that you find this useful in assessing your own oral hygiene routine!
In order to build a strong foundation for your oral hygiene routine you need to be brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing your smile once a day. Your dentist will let you know if you need to beef up this routine at all.
The best times to brush your teeth are in the morning, to clear away plaque that has accumulated in the night, and right before bed, to clean bacteria that builds up during the day. Aim to floss your smile at night, right before you brush your teeth.
There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re brushing your teeth:
- You want to clean your smile for two minutes continuously every time you brush
- You should apply light pressure as you brush, so as to avoid causing enamel or gum tissue damage
- Use small circular motions to buff the plaque off of your enamel surfaces
- Make sure that you’re using a type of toothbrush that is healthy for your tooth—for most people, this means using a soft-bristled brush
If you are following this general oral hygiene routine, but feel like it’s difficult to maintain a fresh smile, talk to your dentist about ways to augment and optimize your routine. Your dental team may recommend that you incorporate a mouth rinse into your oral hygiene plan, or they may suggest certain tools—like Waterpiks—that can help you eliminate more plaque.
Our Santa Monica dentists are happy to give you any additional information that you may need about how to care for your smile at home—give us a call to get started!