Posted .

Brushing your teeth is something you have been doing for years. In fact, you may have been doing it for so long, you might not even think about it. While regular brushing is a great habit to cultivate, you should get so used to it that you don’t do it well.

Make sure that your brush is in good shape. Your toothbrush should have soft bristles and they should be in good shape. If they are flattened, or look like they are dropping, they are not cleaning your teeth well. If the case with your toothbrush, you should retire it and buy a new one. In fact, you should replace your toothbrush every three months. When brushing, make sure that you give yourself enough time to do the job well. At a minimum, you should brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes at a time. You may be surprised at how little time you are actually spending on your teeth. It may help for a few weeks if you time yourself when you brush, until you get in the habit of taking the full two minutes. When you brush, hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to your teeth. You should brush the outsides of your upper teeth first, followed by your lower teeth. Then repeat for the insides of your teeth. Brush the chewing and biting surfaces, followed by your tongue. To clean the insides of your front teeth, hold your toothbrush vertically. Although you should brush at least twice a day, it is a good idea to brush after every meal. But wait for thirty minutes after you eat so that the saliva in your mouth has time to remove the food debris, and to neutralize the acids from your food. Remember to rinse before and after you brush.

If you are interested in more oral hygiene tips, or if you would just like to schedule an appointment for a cleaning and exam with our dentist, Dr. Philip Cooper, call us today. If you live in the Garden City, Georgia, area, you can reach Savannah Dental Associates by calling 912-234-5003. We look forward to seeing you soon!