HOW TO BRUSH YOUR TEETH

Dentists advise people to clean their teeth by brushing after every meal and by using dental floss once a day. Dental floss is a thin thread that comes in a roll. It is used to clean the areas between teeth and under the gum line. Brushing and flossing remove trapped food particles, and plaque from the teeth. Plaque is a sticky film that consists of saliva, food particles, and bacteria. The bacteria digest certain foods, particularly sugars, and form an enamel-dissolving acid.

To brush the teeth, you should use a small, soft toothbrush and a toothpaste that contains fluorides. There are several methods of brushing. You should use the one recommended by your dentist. One commonly recommended method is to place the brush against the teeth at a slight angle, with the bristles pointed toward the gums. Brush the upper teeth with a downward, sweeping motion. Brush the lower teeth with an upward, sweeping motion. Clean both the outside and the inside surfaces of the teeth in this way. Use a scrubbing motion to clean the biting surfaces of the premolars and molars. Lastly, brush the tongue to remove food particles and bacteria, which contribute to bad mouth odours. Then rinse the mouth thoroughly with water or a mouthwash.

To floss the teeth, cut a piece of floss about 45 centimetres long from the roll. Wrap one end of the floss around each middle finger. Using the index fingers and thumbs, gently guide the floss between two teeth. Then pull the floss up and down, cleaning the sides of both teeth and the areas around the gum line.

Some people use disclosing tablets to see if any areas of the teeth remain unclean after brushing and flossing. Disclosing tablets contain a red or purple dye. When you chew a tablet, the dye sticks to unclean areas of the teeth. You can then re brush and re floss these spots.

Outside surfaces of upper teeth: Use a downward, sweeping motion.

Inside surfaces of upper teeth: Use a downward, sweeping motion.

Outside surfaces of lower teeth: Use an upward, sweeping motion.

Inside surfaces of lower teeth: Use an upward, sweeping motion.

Biting surfaces of premolars and molars: Scrub back and forth.

The tongue: Brush to remove food particles and bacteria.

Most cases of tooth decay and gum disease could be prevented if people took proper care of their teeth and gums. Proper care requires:

1. a good diet,

2.cleaning the teeth after eating, and

3. dental checkups.