‘Brush your teeth and floss’…you’ve all been told this but do you really know why and how?

You have ALL heard ‘brush and floss your teeth’ whether it be from the dentist, from your parents, grandparents...you all know! But, have you ever really stopped to think about why? Why is it so important that you brush and floss your teeth on a regular basis?

 

Tooth Cleaning Advice From Our Oral Hygienist

I decided that a very brief blog post on the basics might be helpful and answer a few of these questions…

1. 1) To reduce bacteria Bacteria is present in your mouth, if unchecked this can cause bad breath, erosion, decay and serious oral health issues. If bacteria are allowed to colonise this can cause infection within the soft tissues and the bone. This can result in periodontal disease, invasive surgery such as root canal, extractions and the likes.
   The more extreme cases have shown that bacterial colonisation is linked with gum disease, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
   Brushing and flossing your teeth reduces bacteria, and in return reduces the risks of the possible effects of bacteria colonisation.
2. 2) To keep your whole mouth healthy In a perfect world, you would all avoid excessive sugar consumption but as it stands this is a bit unrealistic! Brushing and flossing is essential to your dental health – alongside ensuring your vitamin C, D and K2, calcium and magnesium intake is adequate – ensuring your teeth remain as healthy as possible for as long as possible, that your gums are healthy and the bone in your mouth are also strong and healthy. It is not just your teeth that you are caring for – it is your general health!

So, it has been drummed into us that we need to brush our teeth and floss. We know this…yet it’s not as easy as it sounds is it? What are some of the problems or obstacles we face?

You brush our teeth in the morning and at night. This is not a ground-breaking piece of information, this is what you have been told since you were young. However, these are the points of the day your concentration may be reduced. In the morning you are rushing for work, rushing for the train, battling with the kids to get them ready for school…so despite your best intentions of a thorough brush and floss you may not achieve an adequate clean!
In the evenings you have had a hectic day at work, the kidsare being a nightmare, the dog needs fed, you have ironing for the morning, a meeting to prepare for or your favourite TV show is about to start…so once again, your thorough brush may be less thorough than you think.
Brushing your teeth can mean different things to different people. The quality of your teeth brushing can vary dramatically. A quick brush around the general area of your teeth does not constitute what your dental hygienist would call "brushing your teeth"!

Professional Teeth Cleaning Tips

How do we suggest that you make sure you’re giving your teeth the attention that you want to give them?

• Electric toothbrushes – we would recommend using an electric toothbrush as these devices offer a more thorough clean and many have timers attached to make sure you are brushing for an adequate amount of time! This takes some of the responsibility away from you and lets the toothbrush do some of the work for you
• Brush your teeth about an hour after dinner and not just before you go to bed. This has a double benefit; it stops the late night snacking! On a more serious note, it allows you time to focus on what you are doing, to make sure you are giving your teeth a thorough brush without being distracted, without being overly tired and thinking of jumping straight into bed!
• Floss – at least 3 times a week. This improves your oral health alongside a good brushing routine and is definitely something that you should incorporate into your routine.

There you have it – our why and how for brushing and flossing. You know it is something that you must do, you’ve been told since you were little! Now we hope you understand why it is important and our top trick tips help you to have a healthy brushing and flossing routine!