Everyone knows they should brush their teeth at least twice a day, but there is more to oral care than just brushing your teeth. Good oral care starts with a proper diet and extends to regular visits to the dentist for teeth cleanings and checkups. Today we’re going to share some tips on how to keep your smile looking its best.
Table of Contents
1) Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste
While a seemingly simple statement, the guidance for brushing twice daily with fluoride toothpaste weaves together several discrete components.
Tooth brushing frequency:
Dentistry at The Grove recommends brushing your teeth at least twice a day, and after every meal if possible.
Fluoride toothpaste:
Although the measures used to assess the benefit varied, studies examining the effect of over-the-counter (OTC) fluoride dentifrice on caries incidence in children and adolescents found that the fraction of caries prevented ranged from 16% per tooth to 31% per surface versus placebo or no dentifrice. It was concluded that fluoride-containing toothpaste was effective in caries control. Additionally, high-level evidence shows that 5,000 ppm fluoride (available with a prescription) results in significantly more arrest of root caries lesions than the use of OTC levels of fluoride (1,000 – 1,500ppm).
Tooth brushing duration:
Data examining the question of optimal duration of daily tooth-brushing encounters rely on plaque indices which are surrogate measures rather than direct measures of caries or gingivitis. Understanding that the use of surrogate measures decreases the certainty with which a recommendation can be made, the available systematic reviews found a brushing duration of two minutes was associated with a bigger reduction in plaque than brushing for a single minute. Two minutes per the whole mouth can also be expressed as thirty seconds per quadrant or about four seconds per tooth.
2) Clean between your teeth daily
While cleaning between teeth is important to maintaining oral health, it is a concept that must overcome several barriers to adoption. ”Flossing” is often used as a shorthand, common term for interdental cleaning, which can become problematic in the real world where many report a strong distaste for that particular activity.13 Some people presume flossing is ineffective or unnecessary, which can also make it harder for them to adopt the daily habit.
Flossing is a technique-sensitive intervention14 as exemplified by the disparity in benefit observed when comparing study designs involving self-flossing and professional flossing. Where patients do not see positive results from flossing, they may not continue to do so. Using flossing as shorthand for interdental cleaning can also be problematic in that patients may be unaware of alternative devices that may be more pleasant or effective for them.
A meta-review, which included the available devices developed for this purpose (i.e. dental floss, interdental brushes, oral irrigators, and wood sticks), addressed the question “What is the effect of mechanical inter-dental plaque removal in addition to tooth brushing on managing gingivitis in adults?” The strength of the evidence on the benefit ranged from weak to moderate depending on the device in question.16Thus, there may not be one “best” interdental cleaning method; rather, the best method for any given patient may be one in which they will regularly perform.
A guiding principle that is relevant to interdental cleaning is: “the best care for each patient rests neither in clinician judgment nor scientific evidence but rather in the art of combining the two through interaction with the patient to find the best option for each individual.
3) See your dentist regularly:
Dentistry at The Grove recommends scheduling a check-up and cleaning at least once every six months. This is an important part of maintaining oral health, as it allows your dentist to catch any problems early on before they become more serious. Additionally, regular cleanings help remove built-up plaque and tartar that can lead to tooth decay and gum disease.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, following these three simple oral care tips – brushing for two minutes with fluoride toothpaste, cleaning between your teeth daily, and seeing your dentist regularly – can help maintain good oral health. Dentistry at The Grove is here to help you every step of the way in keeping your smile healthy and bright. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
