Routine Activities for Brushing Your Teeth

They say when you smile the whole world smiles with you, so don't you want to show off a gorgeous, healthy mouth while you do it? Good dental health is something many people feel they already know about. However, there is always something else to learn when it comes to routine activities for good oral health.

Brushing

• Even though you do it every day, brushing is something that many people do not do correctly. Brush twice each day, taking care to do this not too soon after eating, as brushing directly after meals can cause abrasive food particles to be ground into you teeth, thus wearing down the enamel. It also takes a full two minutes to properly brush your teeth. First, brush the outer areas of your teeth before moving on to the inner areas. Then clean the hard-to-reach areas in the back of your mouth where the majority of chewing occurs.

Tongue Care

• Your tongue is where a great deal of bad breath-causing food particles and germs lurk, but it can often be overlooked in the daily oral health care process. There are several tools you can use to clean your tongue each time your brush. If all you have is a toothbrush, you can certainly use it to brush your tongue after you are finished brushing your teeth, taking care to reach as far back on your tongue as possible. However, several toothbrush brands offer brushes with a rubbery, ribbed back to clean your tongue. Also, tongue scrapers are also available for this purpose.

Flossing

• Because your toothbrush simply cannot reach every area in your mouth, daily flossing is recommended to get rid of any remaining food particles that may be hiding between your teeth or along your gumline. Start with an 18-inch piece of floss wrapped around your middle fingers until you are left with about two inches of floss when holding it taut with your thumbs and index fingers. Work the floss between each tooth in a back-and-forth motion, using a fresh area of floss for each new tooth. Take care to curve the floss around your tooth in order to effectively clean your gumline.

Rinsing

• After you brush or floss your teeth, you should always rinse your mouth with an antiseptic mouthwash. Even after brushing your teeth and tongue and flossing, tiny particles of food and germs will still be hiding in your mouth. Rinsing can reduce them. It is also recommended that you rinse before bed each night since germs in your mouth will multiply while you sleep. This is because your mouth is drier while you sleep. However, rinsing before bed and when you wake up will help you achieve the best overall oral health.