What is dental hygiene?

When you visit our office, our skilled dentist and dental team work hard to provide you with high-quality dental care. It is just as important — or even more important — to properly care for your smile at home. This includes practicing good dental hygiene habits, including brushing and flossing your teeth every day.

How to brush your teeth:

Be sure to brush your teeth at least twice every day. Use a soft-bristled, ADA®-approved toothbrush and a toothpaste that contains fluoride.

• Hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to your gums and use small, circular motions to brush your teeth. Be sure you can always feel the bristles on the gums.
• Brush the inner, outer and chewing surfaces of each tooth.
• Use the tip of the toothbrush head to brush the inside of your front teeth.
• Be sure to brush your tongue to freshen your breath and remove bacteria.

We often recommend electric toothbrushes because they are easy to use and can efficiently remove plaque.

How to floss your teeth:

Floss your teeth at least once every day; the most important time to floss is before going to bed at night. Flossing is essential because it removes food particles and plaque in between teeth and under the gumline, where your toothbrush cannot reach.

• Use a piece of floss about 12-16 inches long. Wrap the floss around your middle fingers, leaving approximately 2 inches of floss between your hands.
• Use your thumbs and forefingers to gently guide the floss, inserting it between your teeth with a sawing motion.
• Curve the floss into a “C” shape around every tooth and gently guide it under the gumline. Move the floss up and down to clean the side of each tooth.

If you have difficulty using conventional floss, a floss holder may help.

For more information on brushing, flossing and dental hygiene in Broomall and Norristown, Pennsylvania, we invite you to contact Dr. Maral Seroon at Joy Dental by calling 484-704-7675. Our dentist, as well as our friendly team, will be happy to assist you.