How to Brush Your Teeth
Choosing the right toothbrush is essential. We generally recommend a soft-bristle brush with a small head. A softer brush will still remove plaque, but is soft enough not to damage your teeth or gums. It is important to choose a toothpaste brand that contains fluoride.
It is best to start brushing from a specific location and work your way to the opposite side and all the way through the whole mouth back to where you began. This way you won’t miss an area. Use a small amount of toothpaste. A good brushing should at least take 2-3 minutes.
It is best to hold the brush at about a 45 degree towards the edge of the gums. This angle helps the ends of the brush bristles get in between the teeth and gums. It is also best to move up and down with a slight circular motion. Each area should get at least 5 or 6 brush strokes. On chewing surfaces (the tops of your teeth), short strokes will work best to get into all of the grooves and pits.
How to Floss Your Teeth
Toothbrushes are great, but they just can’t get in-between teeth like they need to. The only alternative is to floss before or after each brushing. There are many foods that can cause build-up between teeth. Take special care to make sure to floss and keep your teeth healthy!
Don’t cut yourself short on the length of the floss, usually about 18″ is a good idea. Wrap both ends of the floss around your middle fingers a couple of times. Use your index and thumb to control the floss moving between in between all your teeth one by one.
When flossing, be careful to avoid cutting your gums. The goal is to clean the teeth surfaces on the sides and not the gum. Press the floss against each side of each tooth (hug the tooth), gently moving it back and forth and up and down to remove any lodged food.