Our Blog

Posts for tag: Preventive Oral Care

8 Tips on How to Brush Your Teeth

By Reno Laser Dentistry

January 11, 2012

Category: dentist reno

Tags: Reno Laser Dentistry Reno Dentist Reno Dental Dental Health Oral Health Care Preventive Oral Care

We all know how to brush our teeth but are you actually doing it correctly. Many of us don’t put much thought into our brushing technique. This may be a habit we do every day without any thought but did you know that there is a proper technique to brushing your teeth?

According to the editors at American Institute for Preventive Medicine, list tips on “how to brush your teeth.

Brushing your teeth serves a number of purposes: It whisks away food particles, cleans and massages your gums, helps to eliminate decay-causing plaque and freshens your breath. Brushing is an essential armament in the fight against decay, gingivitis, and periodontal disease.

Even though it’s something most of us do every day, it doesn’t hurt to get a refresher course on brushing, because using the proper brushing technique is just as important as vigilance.

Choose a routine and stick to it. Establishing a proper and habitual method of brushing your teeth will go a long way toward preventing dental caries and gum disease.
Always start in the same place in your mouth. This will help ensure that all parts of your mouth get cleaned every time. A good place to start is the hard-to-reach rear molars, which need the most time and attention.
Press gently at a 45-degree angle. Scrub the front of the tooth and gum for a few seconds using a small circular motion. In the same manner, move slowly around your mouth until you get to the other side. Pay particular attention to your gum line, because this is where gingivitis takes hold.
After you’ve worked your way to the other side of your mouth, rotate the brush so that it rests against the back of your tooth and gum, and use the same angle and same circular scrubbing motion as you return to the first tooth.
Next, briskly brush along the top face, or chewing surface, of your teeth.
Then repeat the entire process on your upper or lower set of teeth (depending on where you started).
Lastly, don’t neglect the roof of your mouth and your tongue. These surfaces also harbor harmful, plaque-causing bacteria.
Rinse out your mouth.”

You can read the full article at http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/oral-care/products/oral-hygiene1.htm

Contact Dr. McElhinney’s dental practice located in Reno with any questions or to set-up an appointment.