Oral Hygiene Specialist in Roanoke, VA
In many ways, the health of the mouth mirrors the health of the body. Diseases in other parts of the body often cause symptoms we can observe in the mouth; likewise, oral maladies (like tooth loss) not only reduce an individual’s quality of life but may also lead to problems in other areas.
Keeping Up Your Oral Health +
In between visits, the best way to keep your teeth clean and free of disease, your gums pink and healthy, and your breath fresh, is a program of daily oral hygiene. Your regular routine should include the following:
- Brush & floss.
- Make sure you're getting the proper amount of fluoride.
- Limit between-meal snacks.
- Use appropriate mouth-rinse – especially if you're at higher risk.
- Quit tobacco.
- Examine your mouth regularly.
Dental Hygiene topics
Mouthrinses
To help prevent tooth decay, anti-cariogenic mouth rinses use an ingredient you're probably already familiar with: fluoride. This is often in the form of a .05% sodium fluoride solution.
Rinsing with an anti-bacterial solution has been shown to provide a greater reduction in plaque than brushing and flossing alone. As tools in the fight against gum disease (gingivitis) and tooth decay, anti-bacterial mouth rinses may be a good step toward improving your oral hygiene.
Oral Hygiene for kids
Babies
Brush your baby's first teeth gently with a small, soft-bristled toothbrush, using just a thin smear of fluoride toothpaste, at least once a day at bedtime.
Children
At your child's regular, twice-yearly dental checkups and cleanings, topical fluoride can be applied to strengthen tooth enamel and make it more resistant to erosion and decay.
Teens
Make good dietary and behavioral choices. These include drinking plenty of water, avoiding highly acidic beverages, avoiding tobacco and alcohol, and regularly visiting the dental office for cleanings and exams.
Tips to prevent cavities
- Brush & floss every day.
- Pay attention to your diet.
- See your dentist regularly.
How to floss
Wind the piece of floss around the middle finger of both hands leaving a gap of around three or four inches. You will now be able to use different combinations of your thumbs and index fingers to correctly position the floss between your teeth for all areas of your mouth.
How to brush
- To begin, select a small-headed, soft-bristled toothbrush and squeeze on a pea-sized dab of fluoride toothpaste.
- Sweep the brush gently back and forth over teeth and gums in soft strokes — or, if you prefer, use an elliptical (circular) motion to clean the teeth.
- Be sure to clean the spaces between teeth.
- Move to the bottom teeth. Repeat the procedure.
- Now it's time for the chewing surfaces: Holding the bristles flat against the molars, clean the ridges and valleys of the back teeth. Do this for all the top and bottom teeth.
- Finally, brush your tongue gently to remove bacteria and freshen your breath.
Toothpaste
Today, most have a similar set of active ingredients, including:
- Abrasives
- Detergents
- Fluoride
In addition, some special kinds of toothpaste have additional ingredients for therapeutic purposes.
- Whitening toothpaste
- Toothpaste for sensitive teeth
INTERDENTAL CLEANING DEVICES
This specially designed toothbrush (sometimes called an interproximal brush or proxabrush) can be successfully utilized to clean the small gaps between teeth, as well as the gums and the areas around braces, wires, or other dental appliances.
Available to consumers for over 50 years, these devices (sometimes known as water jets or water picks) can also play a role in interdental hygiene.