Deep Cleaning Teeth At Home
If you have had to postpone your regular dental check ups or are in between appointments, you may be wondering if it is possible to get that squeaky-clean feeling at home. In addition to the tips and tricks below, we strongly advise minimising your daily intake of sugar, which attracts tooth-decaying bacteria.
An Electric Toothbrush
Brushing your teeth twice a day is the best thing you can do to keep your teeth clean. The purpose of brushing and flossing is to remove the plaque that forms around our teeth and gum lines. If the plaque is not removed regularly, it can harden and becomes more difficult to scrape off, leading to tooth and gum disease.
The big benefit of using an electric toothbrush such as the Sonisk Pulse toothbrush is that it uses vibrations to blast plaque off the tooth’s surface. The electric toothbrush does the work for you as you don’t have to use the scrubbing motion that you do with a manual brush, just hold it at a 45-degree angle toward the gums and slowly walk it around the gum line. For a more detailed look at how to brush your teeth correctly visit our recent blog post here.
Dental Floss
Regular flossing plays a crucial role in your dental hygiene. When you skip flossing, plaque can build up between your teeth and along your gum line. Over time, this can increase your risk of tooth decay, gum disease, and cause cavities.
- Break off about 18-24 inches of dental floss and wind the floss around both of your middle fingers, leaving only about 2 inches of floss for your teeth.
- Hold the floss taut with your thumb and index finger.
- Place the dental floss between the two teeth and gently glide the floss up and down rubbing it against both sides of each tooth.
- As the floss reaches the base of your tooth, move it into a C shape allowing the floss to enter the space between your teeth and your gums.
- Repeat these steps from tooth to tooth.
The Right Toothpaste
To perfect that smile, the most important ingredient to look for in toothpaste is fluoride. This active ingredient helps slow down the reduction of minerals in your teeth’ enamel, reduces the development of cavities, and helps prevent the build-up of bacteria.
Adults should use a toothpaste that contains at least 1,350 parts per million (ppm) fluoride and children of all ages can use the family toothpaste as long as it contains fluoride between 1,000 and 1,500 ppm. Your dentist may advise you to use toothpaste with a higher concentration of fluoride if you need it.
Mouth Wash
The benefits of using a mouthwash for deep cleaning are that it will eliminate bacteria and bad breath all whilst washing away loose particles of plaque and food in your mouth when you rinse. One of the keys to using mouthwash correctly is to swish it in your mouth for the correct amount of time. Most mouthwashes will provide this information on the manufacturer's label, but it is usually recommended that you swish the product around in your mouth for 30 seconds to one minute then spit it out.
Try and use a mouthwash that does not contain alcohol. By avoiding this you can prevent an unpleasant taste, teeth staining, a drying sensation in the mouth, and also worsened breath.
Deep cleaning for your teeth might feel like a chore at home, but in reality, it’s an effective procedure that can remove tartar buildup so you have healthy gums. By looking after your teeth properly at home, you can take the first steps towards healthier and happier gums.
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