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.  Your personal home care starts 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 a soft bristle brush and non-fluoridated toothpaste (Baking soda works great).

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 also 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.

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

1. Take 16- 18 inches (arms length from hand to elbow) 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.

Floss holders are recommended if you have difficulty using conventional floss.

Rinsing – It is important to rinse your mouth with water after brushing and after meals if you are unable to brush.  If you are using an over-the-counter product for rinsing, it’s best to avoid products containing alcohol. A simple salt-water rinse works well to heal gum tissues.

Waterpik- Easy to use. Just point the flosser tip between your teeth and along the gumline at a 45 degree angle, and let it do all the work for you.

Water Flossing takes only a minute a day, making it easy to improve your oral health and enjoy the cleanest, freshest mouth possible. The Waterpik® Water Flosser removes the plaque and debris lurking deep between teeth and below the gumline,
where it’s hard to reach with traditional brushing and flossing.