Brushing, Flossing and Mouthwash

Studies have shown that brushing once a day in preschool settings, using a fluoride toothpaste will prevent cavities. Families should be encouraged to brush additional times at

home.  Brushing before bedtime is especially important, in order to prevent plaque and food particles remaining in contact with the teeth throughout the night.

You should replace your toothbrush when it begins to show wear, or every three months, whichever comes first. It is also very important to change toothbrushes after you’ve had a cold, since the bristles can collect germs that can lead to reinfection.

 An electric toothbrush is a toothbrush that uses electric power supplied usually by a battery to move the brush head rapidly, either oscillating side to side, or rotation-oscillation (where brush heads rotate in one direction and then the other).

ADVANTAGES OF AN ELECTRIC POWER BRUSH

1.Faster Brushing

2.Easier Brushing

3.Deep Cleaning

4.Painless Cleaning

5.Stain Removal

6.Fresher Breath

7.Proven Long-Term Results

  Flossing in addition to toothbrushing can reduce gingivitis and halitosis compared to toothbrushing alone.

 Dental floss is a bundle of thin filaments used to remove food and dental plaque from teeth. The floss is gently inserted between the teeth and scraped along the teeth sides, especially close to the gums or underneath them. Dental floss may be made of either plastic (nylon, PTFE or polyethylene) or silk, and can be flavored or unflavored, and waxed or unwaxed. An alternative tool to achieve the same effect is the interdental brush.

Advantages of flossing

• ØProper flossing removes plaque and food particles in places where a toothbrush cannot reach- under the gum-line and between the teeth.
• ØDaily flossing is recommended because plaque build-up can lead to tooth decay and gum disease.
• ØIt stimulates gums, polishes tooth surfaces, reduces gum bleeding and prevents gum disease.

Start with about 18 inches of floss, wind most of the floss around each middle finger, leaving an inch or two of floss to work with.

• ØHold the floss tautly between your thumbs and index fingers, slide it gently up-and- down between your teeth.
• ØGently curve the floss around the base of each tooth using a seesaw motion, making sure you go beneath the gum-line. Never snap or force the floss, as this may cut or bruise delicate gum tissue.
• ØCurve the floss around the side of one tooth, forming a ‘C’ shape and rub the floss up and down to clean the tooth. Repeat the procedure in the opposite direction i.e. on the adjacent tooth.
• ØUse clean sections of floss as you move from tooth to tooth.
• ØTo remove the floss, use the same back-and-forth motion to bring the floss up and away from the teeth.

Mouthwash or mouth rinse is a chemotherapeutic agent used as an effective home care system by the patient to enhance oral hygiene.

A mouthwash is a flavored liquid that people use to rinse out their mouths before or after brushing their teeth. Some individuals may also rinse with mouthwash between brushings, particularly after eating foods that may cause a person to have bad breath. Mouthwash  typically  emphasize the treatment and prevention of halitosis as one of the many benefits of mouthwash. Mouthwash can be effective at combating bad breath.

• ØBacteria in the mouth can also cause foul-smelling breath. Many antiseptic mouthwash products claim to kill the germs that cause bad breath.
• ØSome mouthwash products are designed to help heal sores or irritation after oral surgery.