Question By: Brushing and flossing are parts of your dental hygiene routine. Most people should brush and floss their teeth twice a day, but you should follow any specific instructions that your dentist gives you. When you brush your teeth, you help remove food and plaque — a sticky white film that forms on your teeth and contains bacteria. After you eat a meal or snack that contains sugar, the bacteria in plaque produce acids that attack tooth enamel.
Flossing, in particular, is tougher to follow because it requires cleaning between the teeth to remove plaque build-up. That's a lot of cleaning for a full set of teeth, on top of brushing at least twice a day. It's no surprise, then, that a lot of people are guilty of skipping out on it until it's too late. By then, the plaque build-up has already developed into a cavity and other worse dental problems.
Brushing in a day
The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends brushing your teeth twice a day, in the morning and evening, with a soft-bristled brush.
For optimum dental health, the ADA suggests brushing your teeth for a minimum of 2 minutes each time, and to make sure you brush every tooth.
Besides brushing your teeth, to keep your mouth healthy, do the following:
- Floss daily.
- Use mouthwash after brushing and flossing.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Eat a healthy diet and limit sugary food and drinks.
- Avoid frequent snacking.
Correct time to floss
The ADA suggests that the best time to floss is the time that comfortably fits into your schedule.
While some people like to include flossing as part of their morning ritual and start the day with a clean mouth, others prefer flossing before bedtime so they go to bed with a clean mouth.
Alternatives to Flossing
Flossing is considered interdental cleaning. It helps remove interproximal dental plaque (the plaque that collects between teeth). It also helps remove debris, such as food particles.
Tools for interdental cleaning include:
- dental floss (waxed or unwaxed)
- dental tape
- pre-threaded flossers
- water flossers
- powered air flossers
Brushing/Floshing First:
It doesn't matter if you brush or floss first, as long as you do a thorough job cleaning all of your teeth and practice good oral hygiene habits every day. The study indicated that flossing first loosened bacteria and debris from between teeth, and brushing afterward cleaned these particles away. Brushing second also increased fluoride concentration in the interdental plaque, which could reduce the risk of tooth decay by strengthening tooth enamel.
Poor Dental Hygiene Affect Other Aspects of Your Health
Poor dental hygiene is not just a problem for your mouth. It can also affect other aspects of your health. In fact, if daily brushing, flossing, and routine visits to your dentist are low on your priority list, you may be putting yourself at an increased risk for heart disease.
One more thing you can do to maintain your teeth is to have regular appointments at your local family dentist in Ellicott City. This not only helps keep your teeth at a professional level of cleanliness, but it also helps establish a record of your dental health and catch any problems you might have in the early stages.
Visit https://www.ellicottcitydentistry.com/how-often-you-should-brush-and-floss-your-teeth for more information.
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