Dental Education 101

Do you remember the first time you brushed your teeth and how it felt? How did you learn how to brush? Most of us probably would have learnt it through our parents and have been doing the same way for the rest of our lives. However, your parents may not know how to brush properly because they also learnt from their parents.

Our team at Allenby Gardens Dental believes that it is important to provide a “Dental Education 101 Package” for all our patients.

There are two most important oral hygiene habits that we encourage all our patients to do daily: Brushing in the morning and night, and flossing daily. Let’s go through these two habits:

How to brush:

1. Use a pea sized amount of toothpaste. Fluoridated toothpaste is highly recommended.
2. Aim your toothbrush at a 45 degree angle towards the gum line using a gentle circular motion.
3. Don’t forget to brush all the surfaces of your teeth. Tips: Many patients forget to brush along the tongue side of their teeth.
4. Spit don’t rinse. We recommend patients to leave a small amount of fluoridated toothpaste behind to protect your teeth for a longer period of time.
5. Remember to change your toothbrush every 3-4 months to keep it hygienic.

Brushing twice a day is not sufficient to maintain your gum health. Flossing is equally important.

How to Floss:

1. Pull out a long string of floss, approximately 45 cm or longer
2. Wrap the floss between the middle finger, use the thumb and index finger to hold the floss.
3. Slide it gently between teeth and curve around each tooth. Tips: make sure you slide it beneath the gum line. There might be some bleeding due to the gum inflammation, but this is OK – please read below for reasons*
4. Please be gentle and don’t forcefully remove the floss. Moving the floss upward and downward always helps to get in and out between the tooth and gum.

*Please don’t stop flossing even when you see your gum bleeding. It is very common to have bleeding gums because of gum inflammation in the first place. Therefore, the more you floss, less plaque accumulation around the tooth, less bleeding gums and decay.

If you struggle with regular floss, we can introduce you to other products, such as interdental brush or water flosser. Book in an appointment now. Let’s start your new dental routine.