At Show Your Grin Dental, we make it our goal to provide you with the best dental care you’ll find in and around Olathe, KS. As your trusted Olathe family dentist, we’re proud to offer a wide variety of general dentistry and cosmetic dentistry treatments in order to keep your teeth healthy and make them look beautiful. However, the most important thing you can do for your teeth is to practice great oral hygiene. We’d like to take this time to offer you several tips on how to maintain an optimal level of oral hygiene.
Brushing
The first thing that great oral hygiene requires is brushing twice a day – once in the morning and once before bedtime. For proper brushing, we recommend using a soft-bristled toothbrush along with fluoridated toothpaste and following these steps:
- First, place a small strip of fluoridated toothpaste on your toothbrush.
- Hold your toothbrush at an angle, pointed at your gum line.
- Place your brush to your teeth and move it around in small circular motions in order to reach food particles that may be under your gum line.
- Continue to brush slowly and carefully, brushing against all the outsides of your teeth. You’ll want to brush upward on the lower teeth and downward on the upper teeth.
- Repeat this process for the inside parts of your teeth as well.
- Use a back-and-forth scrubbing motion to brush the chewing surfaces of your teeth.
- Finally, remember to brush your tongue and the roof of your mouth before rinsing your mouth thoroughly with water.
Make sure to replace your toothbrush with a new one when the brush’s bristles begin to wear down or fray.
Flossing
Dental floss is helpful in getting to areas of your mouth that your toothbrush can’t reach. It can reach below the gum line and in between the teeth. For proper flossing, you’ll want to:
- Pull a small length of floss from the floss dispenser and wrap the ends tightly around your fingers.
- Guide the floss between your teeth and up to the gum line, pulling out any plaque or trapped food particles as you go.
- Unwrap the clean floss from your finger and proceed onto your next tooth.
- Continue this process until you’ve cleaned between all of your teeth, making sure to floss behind your back teeth as well.
It’s best to floss daily, preferably at night. Your gums may bleed a little when you first begin to floss, but this is completely normal. However, make sure to inform your dentist if the bleeding persists after you’ve flossed several times.
Dieting
Your teeth, bones, and soft tissues of your mouth require a balanced diet in order to stay healthy. By eating a variety of foods from the five food groups, you can help minimize, or even eliminate, tooth decay and avoid a number of other dental problems. It’s best to limit your consumption of foods that are heavy in sugar or starch, including candy, cookies, crackers, and chips. On the other hand, healthier foods, such as vegetables, cheese, and low-fat yogurt, will strengthen your teeth.
Visiting Your Dentist
It’s important for you to visit your dentist once every six months in order to maintain a healthy smile. At these appointments, your dentist will provide both regular check-ups and professional cleanings. Your dentist will examine your teeth, give an evaluation of any existing dental problems, and then provide treatment, if necessary. If you happen to find yourself having a dental emergency, it’s vital for you to call your dentist immediately.
Contact Your Olathe Family Dentist Today!
If you have any further questions about oral hygiene, please don’t hesitate to contact us and let us know. We at Show Your Grin Dental are glad to help you in any way possible. If you’d like to schedule an appointment with us, please feel free to give us a call at (913) 469-8019 or fill out our online appointment request form. We can’t wait to hear from you!