Dental Services

Proper Oral Hygiene Instructions

For Good Oral Hygiene and Dental Care

The oral hygiene instructions below were compiled by our dentists at our Country Dental Clinic. Achieving optimal oral hygiene requires adherence to a four step process:

1) Examining Your Dental Anatomy

The physical characteristics of each individual mouth require special attention and custom instructions for optimal care.  The dimensions of the space between your teeth, the shape of your teeth, the length and health of gums, saliva secretions, past and current treatment plans, as well as lifestyle all contribute to the best way to care for your teeth. During your dental exam, your dentist will discuss the health of your teeth and gums and offer suggestions for your best dental care.

2) Assessing Your Current Dental Care Routine

Our hygienists and dentists need to see your current brushing and flossing technique in action, including discussions on timing of meals and nutritional content.  While the current state of your teeth will tell part of the story, not unlike any other skill, proper oral care requires professional instruction and practice to be perfected.  Ask for an exciting, 100% safe, science experiment to demonstrate how much plaque may be left every night before you go to bed.

3) Teaching the Best Way to Brush Your Teeth

Depending on your age and dental treatment, different techniques are more effective at removing plaque. Very young children should limit their intake of sugar beverages, including juice, and can be fine with simple back and forth scrubbing. Older children will want to roll the brush against the gums to remove trapped plaque.  Adults will want to combine stimulation of the teeth and gums, paying close attention to different levels of pressure and brushing angles. This is known as the “modified Stillman technique” and can be greatly assisted with electric or power toothbrushes of good quality. See our post on how often to change a toothbrush.

4) The Right Way to Floss

Sticking floss between teeth and pulling it out is not flossing! Patients must use the floss to sweep away plaque following the adjacent tooth and gum.  The backs of molars need extra attention as do treated teeth they may require floss threading. We have tons of free floss samples for patients at Country Dental and are pleased to give them to all of our patients.

For more information, read this article by the Canadian Pediatric Society entitled, Oral Health Care for Children – A Call for Action.

To discuss any of the oral hygiene instructions listed here, or to book a dental appointment at one of our three Ontario dental clinic, please call the dental clinic nearest you:

Fergus – 519-787-7878

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