Proper Brushing Technique

When you brush your teeth, it should always be in a circular motion. Is it better to just get an electric toothbrush? That is only the case if you get one that spins in a circular motion, and it helps you to remember not to brush straight back and forth. Be sure to brush at 45-degree angle to the gumline. This will help you to remove the maximum amount of bacteria before it has the chance to harden into tartar (which will have to be removed at the dentist’s office during your six-month cleaning). You should brush for about two minutes at a time. This gives you enough time to clean the front, back, and top of each tooth well. You may want to use the stopwatch feature of your phone to make sure that you are spending sufficient time on your teeth.

How to Floss Correctly

Be sure to use about a foot and a half of floss so that you have plenty of room to wrap your fingers (you can also use a floss pick). This gives you plenty of floss to switch to a clean section for each tooth. Don’t just pull the floss back and forth between teeth, but also move it up and down. It is good to get below the gumline since your toothbrush won’t get in there. It’s not about flossing hard. If you floss twice per day, you should be able to glide the floss gently.

So What Should Be First?

Some say brushing should be first because the residue left on your teeth from the fluoride in the toothpaste gets picked up by the floss and improves cleaning between the teeth and below the gumline. Others say that you should floss first to loosen food particles and bacteria that can then be more easily brushed away.

You can decide for yourself which makes more sense. The important thing is to brush and floss every day because it takes about 24 hours for plaque to form. Brushing and flossing at least twice per day prevents this build up and protects your oral health.

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When choosing toothpaste for a child who is under 3 years old, it is best to get one that does not contain fluoride. Fluoride is important throughout life to keep tooth enamel strong and reduce the risk of cavities, but very young children can’t spit toothpaste out, and fluoride should not be swallowed. This type of toothpaste non-fluoride toothpaste made for young children is sometimes called training toothpaste. At this stage in your child’s life you will be gently brushing their gums or newly emerging teeth with your finger, and then eventually with a soft bristle brush.

The time to switch to fluoride toothpaste is when your child is old enough to brush his or her own teeth and spit the toothpaste out. While most adults use mint-flavored toothpaste, kids often find milder flavors more palatable. Children’s toothpaste comes in a variety of fruit flavors as well as flavors like bubble gum or cotton candy. You can give your child the freedom to choose flavor of the toothpaste; as long as it carries the ADA Seal and contains fluoride you can be sure it’s a good choice.

The ADA Seal is important because it means that the American Dental Association has approved the toothpaste. In order to carry the ADA Seal, a manufacturer must submit ingredients lists and other information about their product, conduct clinical trials and provide evidence that the product is manufactured in properly maintained and supervised facilities. So when you see the ADA Seal, you know the ADA has confirmed that the product is safe, effective, and does what the label claims.

Finding a good toothpaste for your child that he or she likes is usually not too difficult. There are many flavors available, as well as brands of toothpaste and toothbrushes that are associated with popular characters. Making oral hygiene fun is the best way to get kids to brush regularly without complaints. Start them early and make oral health and dentist visits fun and exciting, to keep their teeth and gums healthy and begin a habit of oral hygiene that will last a lifetime.

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