...A floss-iraptor!

Now I have your attention with my punny title, let’s drill (…) down to the basics of how to clean your teeth properly! ‘But I know how to brush my teeth?’ I hear you cry! That’s only part of it, and there’s so many crucial parts that most of us skip. So, try to keep reading as how to take care of your teeth is a really important subject.

It’s great to have teeth that look and feel good, and to have your breath smelling clean and fresh – cleaning your teeth properly will ensure this! Not only will it keep your mouth healthy, so you don’t get tooth decay or gum disease, which will in turn avoid painful teeth and costly dentist bills!

It is best to clean your teeth before you go to bed, and preferably in the morning as well. In the morning – this can be done before or after breakfast. Whenever you do clean them, it is good to wait for half an hour after you’ve eaten before brushing, so that there is no acid from the food left on your teeth.

Step one: Flossing your teeth

Before brushing, it is first useful to floss in between your teeth using dental floss, moving the floss back and forth, and up and down a few times. This flossing will get rid of any food lodged between your teeth and remove plaque as well. Plaque is a film of bacteria coating the teeth that builds up, causing tooth decay. You can also sometimes gently floss in between the tooth and the gum, to clean that area as well.

Step two: Using interdental brushes

It is good to use small interdental brushes to continue cleaning in between your teeth, especially in the evening. Brush in and out in between each tooth a few times. Sometimes using interdental brushes will remove food lodged in between the teeth that normal flossing can’t get rid of. There are different sizes of brushes, shown by their different colours, to fit into the different sized gaps in between your teeth, so you might need a couple of different sizes. The main brand of interdental brush is TePe. For bigger gaps use the yellow and/or green ones, and for smaller gaps use the blue and/or red brushes, for example.

Step three: Brushing your teeth

Now let’s look at how you use your toothbrush!
Brushing your teeth can be done with either a manual or an electric toothbrush. Whichever type of toothbrush you use, go gently and don’t scrub hard, and avoid scrubbing fast – forwards and backwards. Remember to brush the inside surfaces, outside surfaces and chewing surfaces of your teeth. Pay special attention to the area where your teeth meet the gums. Be gentle in your brushing, so you don’t harm the tooth enamel or gums.

Electric toothbrushes are much better at removing plaque than manual toothbrushes and are also easier and more effective to use. If you are using an electric toothbrush, then use a seesaw motion, tilting backwards and forwards from side to side on each tooth, so it cleans the sides of the teeth as well as the front of them. Guide the toothbrush slowly from tooth to tooth, following along with the curve of each tooth, and of the gums. If you have a more expensive electric toothbrush, then brush each tooth by hovering over it for a second.

If you are using a manual toothbrush that isn’t electric, choose one with medium bristles, and brush using a few small circular strokes on each tooth.

After brushing, spit out any excess toothpaste. However don’t rinse the mouth, as that would get rid of the fluoride from the toothpaste left on your teeth. Good toothpaste contains fluoride, which is healthy for the teeth. In cases of bad breath, it can also be useful to get a soft bristle manual toothbrush, and very gently brush the inside of the cheeks, the roof of the mouth, and under the tongue, to get rid of bacteria.

Step four: Tongue cleaners – yes, they exist too!

A few times a week you can also clean your tongue. This will remove bacteria from your tongue, and keep your mouth feeling and smelling fresh, especially if your mouth is prone to bad breath. You can buy tongue cleaners from the chemist or from sellers such as Amazon. Clean by scraping the cleaner down the sides, the back, and centre of the tongue. It is sometimes easier to hold your breath whilst using the tongue cleaner, particularly when cleaning the back of the tongue.

Using mouthwash
Sometimes you can also use mouthwash to freshen your mouth, although this is optional. Choose a different time of day to use mouthwash, such as after lunch. So you aren’t using it straight after cleaning your teeth. Rinse your mouth with it, then spit it out after using it, and don’t swallow it. Don’t eat or drink for half an hour after using mouthwash.

Looking after your toothbrush
Replace your manual toothbrush or the toothbrush head on your electric toothbrush every 3 months, as they wear out. With the toothbrush head on your electric toothbrush, it is useful to take it off the toothbrush and rinse the inside of it every couple of weeks, then leave it to dry.

Eating and smoking
Try to cut down on your intake of sugary food and drink, which can cause tooth decay. Avoid toffees and chewy sweets which stick to teeth and can remove fillings. Also smoking, vaping and recreational drugs cause tooth decay and gum disease.

Buying toothbrushes
Electric toothbrushes are more expensive than manual toothbrushes. But electric toothbrushes are cheaper to buy in the sales. And they are cheaper than going to the dentist and having fillings done. So electric toothbrushes are a good investment.

Dentists
A quick word about dentists… Check-ups – it is recommended to visit the dentist for a check-up once a year, to check if fillings etc are needed. Or visit if your teeth or gums are painful or bleeding, as you might need advice on how to clean your teeth better, or you might need a filling, or have an abscess.

It is also a good idea to visit the dental hygienist at your dental practice once or twice a year, for a deep clean of your teeth to keep them in good shape! This costs money, but it is cheaper than getting a filling fixed, so it helps prevent possible future problems. Finding a dentist – it can be difficult to find an NHS dentist. However, if you can’t find one, then look for a private dentist, as some of them aren’t much more expensive than an NHS one, and often they do a better job.