Preventative General & Family Dental Care

Maintaining good dental health

1. Examinations/Cleaning: Schedule routine exam/cleaning at least once per year (Most insurance companies cover two exams/cleanings per year. Tartar typically returns within 90-120 days of professional cleaning regardless of the most effective personal care regiments.
2. Toothbrush: Soft, Medium, or Hard: Soft….Always soft.
3. Brushing Techniques—Speak to your doctor about what brushing technique is best for YOU. The position of teeth, condition of teeth, and condition of gums all effect how your should brush.
4. How long should I brush? dentists generally recommend brushing 3-4 minutes, the length of an average song. Using an egg timer is another way to measure your brushing time. Patients generally think they're brushing longer, but most spend less than a minute brushing. To make sure you're doing a thorough job and not missing any spots, patients are advised to brush the full 3-4 minutes twice a day instead of brushing quickly five or more times through the day.
5. Brush After Every Meal?: YES…and here’s why. Much of what we eat is broken down into sugars. Sugars break down into acids that can and do damage teeth. So brushing after meals is ALWAYS a healthy initiative. If there is no toothbrush handy, consider rinsing with tap water. Any and all elimination of residual food is essential to good dental care.