You’ll often hear about the importance of following a proper oral health care routine, but what exactly does this routine look like? 

If one of your 2021 resolutions is to improve the health of your teeth and gums, your oral health care routine is a great place to start. Below we have outlined some common tasks to incorporate into your daily routine as well as best practices when it comes to completing them. 

Brushing Your Teeth

• Brush your teeth for approximately 2 minutes to thoroughly clean your mouth. Try to spend an equal amount of time (30 seconds) in each quadrant of your mouth.
• Make sure to hold your brush at a 45-degree angle pointed toward the gums, brushing softly in circular motions.
• Brush all the surfaces of your teeth: top, bottom, inside, outside.
• Brush your teeth twice a day, ideally after meals.

Flossing Your Teeth

• Floss your teeth once a day, ideally before you brush your teeth.
• Make sure to floss the teeth at the back of your mouth, not just the front.
• Use approximately a foot of floss and wrap each end around your fingers then gently lower it in between your teeth.
• Follow the curve of your teeth to avoid damaging your gums, moving back and forth to eliminate any unwanted material.
• Repeat this for every tooth, as you move to the next tooth take the dirty floss with one finger and unwind the clean floss from the other finger ensuring you are using a clean area of floss in between each tooth.

Rinse Your Mouth with Mouthwash

• Rinse your mouth with a small amount of antibacterial mouthwash after you brush and floss your teeth.
• Sip a small amount of mouthwash and swish it around in your mouth for 30-40 seconds. 
• Spit it out and then rinse your mouth thoroughly.

Take Time to Clean Your Tongue

• If you’re using a toothbrush put a little bit of toothpaste on your toothbrush and brush your tongue in circular motions. Clean as much of the tongue as you can without initiating your gag reflex and then rinse your mouth thoroughly.
• If you’re using floss to clean your tongue take a piece of floss and wrap the ends around each finger. Then gently use the middle to scrape your tongue clean. A tongue scraper will also use this method. Finish by rinsing your mouth thoroughly.

Additional Oral Hygiene Tips

• Visit your dentist regularly for checkups and cleanings
• Examine your mouth regularly during your routine to make sure there are no abnormalities
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet

Although you’ll never truly know if you have good oral health until you see your dentist for a checkup, following these tips will ensure that you are doing everything in your power to maintain your oral health. Try to stick to your routine, and make sure to visit us for your regular appointments. Contact us today to book your next checkup.