Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Brushing and Flossing Your Teeth
• Method 2 of 4: Cleaning the tongue
• Method 3 of 4: Using a mouthwash
• Method 4 of 4: Professional Teeth Cleaning
• Additional articles

Good oral hygiene is essential for healthy and strong teeth, preventing gum infections and diseases, and preventing bad breath. Oral hygiene involves cleaning not only the teeth, but the entire mouth. Brush and floss your teeth, scrape off plaque from your tongue, and use a mouthwash to completely clean your mouth.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Brushing and Flossing Your Teeth

1. 1 Brush your teeth 2-3 times a day. The first step in caring for your oral cavity and maintaining its hygiene is to regularly and correctly brush your teeth. It is usually recommended to brush your teeth twice a day, morning and evening. You can also do this a third time after lunch, but do not brush your teeth more than three times a day.
   • Brushing your teeth more than three times a day can erase the enamel and damage your gums.
   • You should brush your teeth for at least two minutes each time. Try to mentally divide the oral cavity into four sectors and devote 30 seconds to each of them.
2. 2 Follow the correct technique. You should brush your teeth properly in order to get the maximum benefit and minimize the risk of damaging your gums or erasing tooth enamel. Start by placing the brush at a 45-degree angle to your gums. Brush gently back and forth over the individual tooth, then gently brush the entire tooth surface with up and down strokes.
   • Clean all teeth: their outer, chewing and inner surfaces.
   • To clean the inside of your teeth, turn the brush upright and rub each tooth several times.
3. 3 Floss your teeth regularly. Even if you regularly brush your teeth with a brush, there are areas that cannot be reached with a brush. Floss your teeth daily to remove food trapped between them. As with brushing, use the correct technique or scratch your teeth or gums. Wrap the thread around the index fingers of both hands so that there is a free piece of thread between them, about 5 centimeters long.
   • Press the floss against the tooth to remove plaque without rubbing the gum. Gently move the thread back and forth. Do not apply too much force to avoid damaging the gums with the floss.
   • Regular and correct use of the floss will help preserve the health of your teeth and gums.
   • You should floss your teeth once a day.
4. 4 Use the right products. It is important to choose the right toothbrush. Use a properly sized, soft bristled brush that allows easy access to all corners of the mouth. You need to change your toothbrush every 3-4 months, or more often as soon as you notice that the bristles are wearing out.
   • Use a fluoride toothpaste approved by a dental professional.
   • When buying toothpaste, pay attention to the mark that it is approved by professionals. This mark is placed on the paste packaging.
   • Do not use abrasive toothpastes for more than two weeks in a row, as long-term use can weaken enamel and increase tooth sensitivity.

Method 2 of 4: Cleaning the tongue

1. 1 Brush your tongue with a toothbrush. The most common and easiest way to clean your tongue is to use a toothbrush. Rub your tongue from base to tip to remove plaque, prevent the growth of harmful bacteria, and avoid bad breath.
   • When doing this, do not press too hard on the brush.
   • Brush your tongue 4-5 times.
2. 2 Use a special tool. Although most people simply rub their tongue with a regular toothbrush, it is designed primarily to clean the smooth surface of the teeth. Unlike teeth, the tongue has a bumpy soft surface, so the best way to remove plaque and bacteria from it is to scrape it.
   • If you think the toothbrush is not cleaning your tongue enough, you can purchase a tongue scraper.
   • Tongue scrapers should be used after brushing and flossing your teeth. They can be purchased at a pharmacy or health supply store, or ordered online.
3. 3 Remember the importance of brushing your tongue. Although there is usually much less attention to brushing the tongue than teeth when discussing oral hygiene, up to 50% of the bacteria in the mouth are found on the tongue. In view of this, tongue cleaning is an integral part of oral hygiene, without which a complete mouth cleaning cannot do. It is believed that 80-90% of halitosis is caused by bacteria that settle on the surface of the tongue, so proper oral hygiene can eliminate this odor.

Method 3 of 4: Using a mouthwash

1. 1 Rinse your mouth special liquid. The liquid is able to penetrate the hard-to-reach corners of your mouth.However, mouthwash should not be viewed as an alternative to a toothbrush or floss, it serves as a complementary agent. Many people rinse their mouths after brushing and flossing their teeth, although the order of these three procedures does not matter.
   • Rinse your mouth out before bed to protect your teeth from bacteria at night.
   • You will find detailed instructions on how to use the product on its packaging. Typically, you should rinse your mouth with liquid for 30-60 seconds and then spit it out.
2. 2 Use a medicated mouthwash. In pharmacies, there are many different therapeutic mouthwashes. They help prevent tooth decay and the development of tooth decay, eliminate bad breath, and protect against conditions such as gingivitis (inflammation of the gums). Cosmetics for mouthwashes are less effective - they temporarily eliminate halitosis, but do not eliminate its causes and do not help maintain oral hygiene.
   • Choose a product that is approved by a professional dentist.
   • If the product has a mark that it is approved by specialists, then its effectiveness has been verified.
3. 3 Understand how important oral hygiene is. Failure to monitor and clean your mouth can greatly increase your risk of infection and gum disease, tooth decay, and tooth loss. The best way to take care of your gums is to regularly brush and floss your teeth and mouth. Plaque on teeth can also lead to gum problems. If plaque is not removed in time, it can turn into tartar, which will require the help of a dentist to remove it.

Method 4 of 4: Professional Teeth Cleaning

1. 1 Consider professional teeth cleaning. One way to completely cleanse your mouth is to have your teeth deep cleaned by your dentist. The doctor effectively uses professional methods to remove plaque and tartar from your teeth, and your teeth will be smooth and clean again. It will be more difficult for bacteria to adhere to the freshly cleaned and smooth surface of your teeth, and after professional cleaning it will be easier for you to keep them clean.
2. 2 Know what to expect. The dentist uses small tools, including a scraper, brush, and mirror. The doctor may start with an ultrasound device, which he uses to crush large pieces of calculus. The dentist will then remove the plaque with a scraper. The doctor will then brush your teeth with a special brush and toothpaste.
   • After brushing, your dentist will use floss and advise you on proper oral hygiene.
   • Additional treatment of teeth with fluoride will take a few minutes and will strengthen the tooth enamel.
3. 3 Do not treat professional cleaning as a one-time procedure. This procedure will help you keep your mouth clean and get you accustomed to good hygiene. Consider having your teeth cleaned periodically by your dentist. While many recommend getting this procedure twice a year, recent research has shown that once a year is sufficient, unless you are at increased risk of developing dental and gum disease.
   • The main risk factors for developing gum disease are smoking, diabetes and genetic predisposition.
   • Check with your doctor to see if you have a predisposition to developing gum disease.

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