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A beautiful, healthy smile that lasts a lifetime is our ultimate goal when treating patients. Your personal home care plays an important role in achieving that goal. It starts at home by eating balanced meals, reducing the number of snacks you eat and correctly using the various dental aids that help control the plaque and bacteria that cause dental disease.

Tooth Brushing – Brush your teeth at least twice a day (especially before going to bed at night) with an ADA approved soft bristle brush and toothpaste.

1. Place the brush at a 45 degree angle to the gums and gently brush using a small, circular motion, ensuring that you always feel the bristles on the gums.
2. Brush the outer, inner and biting surfaces of each tooth.
3. Use the tip of the brush to clean the inside of the front teeth.
4. Brush your tongue to remove bacteria and freshen your breath.

Electric toothbrushes are recommended. They are easy to use and can remove plaque efficiently. Simply place the bristles of the electric brush on your gums and teeth and allow the brush to do its job, several teeth at a time. Scientific studies have shown that electric toothbrushes do a better job in the same amount of time. We recommend at least a full two minutes of brushing with either method.

Flossing – Daily flossing is the best way to clean between the teeth and under the gumline. Flossing not only helps clean these spaces but disrupts plaque colonies and keeps them from building up, preventing damage to the gums, teeth and bone.

1. Take about 24 inches (50+cm) of dental floss and wrap it around your middle fingers, leaving about 2 inches (5cm) of floss between the hands.
2. Using your thumbs and forefingers to guide the floss, gently insert the floss between teeth using a sawing motion.
3. Curve the floss into a “C” shape around each tooth and under the gumline. Gently move the floss up and down, cleaning the side of each tooth.  We recommend doing this motion 12 times on each surface of each tooth.

Floss holders are recommended if you have difficulty using conventional floss although the results will not be quite as thorough.

Rinsing – It is important to rinse your mouth with water after meals if you are unable to brush. If you are using an over-the-counter product for rinsing, it’s a good idea to consult with Dr. Norton or dental hygienist on its appropriateness for you.

Use other dental aids as recommended by Dr. Norton or dental hygienist: inter dental brushes, rubber tip stimulators, tongue cleaners, irrigation devices, fluoride or non-fluoride option, medicated rinses, etc., can all play a role in good dental home care.  remember this: you are in a battle with bacteria that have no brains and will continue to colonize and destroy tooth and gum structure unless these plaque colonies are THOROUGHLY removed each day.  There is the saying that “practice makes perfect.”  I submit to you that in this case, as well as many others, “Perfect Practice Makes Perfect.”