At Home Dental Hygiene Regimen

You heard it enough from all dentists that brushing and flossing is the best defense in the fight against developing cavities.

At Sunnyvale Dental Care practice in Sunnyvale, California, we like to add that brushing and flossing techniques are not that simple to follow, intuitive or easy to accomplish correctly.

Actually, there is a learning curve. Sunnyvale dentist Dr. Gupta always says, “Daily dental hygiene at home is even more important than his professional dental cleaning done every six months.” With this being mentioned, daily dental cleaning done at home does not substitute for professional dental cleaning or periodontal maintenance done every 6 months or every 3 or 4 months.

How to Brush Correctly

Brush at The Right Angle

The bristles of the brush need to reach into the space between your teeth and gums. To do this, Dr. Gupta recommends to hold the brush at a 45-degree angle against your teeth and gums.

Make Sure to Brush Gently

When it comes to cleaning your teeth, the biggest mistake is scrubbing too hard, which can wear away your gums. Use a very short back-and-forth motion or a small circular motion. Don’t move the brush more than half a tooth length.

Do the outsides and the insides top and bottom. Dr. Gupta recommends a soft toothbrush and to change your toothbrush at least every 3 months.

Brushing Your Front Teeth

To reach behind the upper and lower front teeth, Sunnyvale dental cleaning expert Dr. Gupta recommends to hold the brush vertically and use the bristle toward the end of the brush.

Brush the Chewing Surfaces

Dr. Gupta emphasizes the importance of cleaning the crevices in the chewing surfaces of your teeth where food can get stuck. Use a gentle back and forth motion. Electric toothbrushes like SoniCare offer effective and thorough dental cleaning at home.

How to Floss Correctly

At Sunnyvale Dental Care clinic we recommend:

• Keep your fingers close to your teeth for better control.
• Work the floss back and forth slightly to ease it between your teeth so it doesn’t snap in and injure your gums.
• Make a “C” shape around the tooth.
• Move the floss gently up and down the side of the tooth, making sure to clean between the tooth and the gum in  a shoe buffing motion.
• Do both sides of every tooth, advancing to a clean section of floss for each side.