The best way to prevent gum disease is with preventive care, which includes both trips to see us for cleanings and checkups, as well as your own home care. Becoming lax in either of these areas can quickly leave your smile much more vulnerable to inflammation and infection. Because periodontal disease is so simple to avoid, we encourage you to become a master of dental hygiene, so you can save yourself the discomfort and extensive restorative care that accompanies poor gum health. In addition to scheduling preventive visits once every six months, take the following guidelines to heart:
Choose the Right Brush
The toothbrush you use is almost as important as choosing to brush your teeth every day. A hard or medium brush may damage your enamel and irritate your gums. For successful removal of plaque and debris, use a soft-bristle nylon brush and make sure to replace it once every three months.
Brush Your Teeth
It’s that simple. Brush your teeth every day at least twice a day for successful preventive care. If you have time to brush your teeth after meals, rinse your mouth first and give yourself about 30 minutes before you pull out the brush and the toothpaste for the best results. Make sure when you are brushing that you address every single surface of your teeth, including your gumline. And that brushing session – it should last around two minutes.
Floss Between Your Teeth
Yes, this is just as basic and easy as brushing your teeth. However, if you don’t floss correctly you may be wasting your time. Follow these steps:
- Use approximately 18 inches of floss
- Wrap the floss around your middle fingers several times and use your pointer and thumb to direct the floss
- Use a fresh part of the dental floss between each set of neighboring teeth for optimal cleaning power
- Slide the floss between two teeth until it rests just beneath your gumline and gently wrap it around one tooth in a c-shape
- Slide the floss along your tooth to remove plaque
- Repeat this process along the neighboring tooth
- Continue this flossing method throughout your entire mouth once a day
ABOUT YOUR ROCHESTER MN COSMETIC DENTISTS:
Calcagno Cosmetic and Family Dentistry offer expert services including dental implants, Six Month Smiles, pediatric dentistry, root canals, and teeth whitening in Rochester MN. To schedule a consultation, please call (507) 218-8936. Dr. Gilly Calcagno and Dr. Kara Heimer welcome and serve patients from Rochester, Red Wing, St. Charles, Winona, Farmington, Austin, and the surrounding communities.
