Dental Hygiene

Flossing

Brushing teeth properly and consistently helps to remove most dental plaque, but brushing alone cannot remove plaque that is located in places that a toothbrush cannot reach – particularly between teeth.

In addition to removing plaque, flossing also helps to remove debris that adheres to teeth and gums in between teeth, polish tooth surfaces and control bad breath. Flossing should take place at least once a day for two to three minutes each time to be most effective. The different types of dental floss include waxed and unwaxed, flavoured, unflavored and wide and regular.

Interdental Brushing

As a result of improved oral hygiene and fluoride, more people are keeping their own teeth into old age but in order to continue to maintain healthy teeth and gums, a regime of brushing and rinsing twice a day should be combined with interdental brushing – cleaning between the teeth.

Cleaning between your teeth is made possible by the use of dental floss, interdental brushes, single tuft toothbrushes, dental sticks, rubber tip stimulators, and irrigation devices.

Tongue Cleaning

A healthy tongue should be slightly moist, smooth, and pinkish in colour, but a white or yellow tongue is a strong indication of a breath problem.

Although not common practice, cleaning your tongue on a regular basis can be the single most beneficial treatment for bad breath.