Examination and Prevention

Home Care

Prevention starts at home.

A regular program of home care is imperative if you want to maintain a healthy, beautiful smile and prevent costly dental treatment in the future. The goal of home care is to regularly remove the sticky film of bacteria called plaque from your teeth. Plaque is the enemy.

Brushing

We recommend the use of a small amount ( half a thumbnail length) of a fluoridated toothpaste on the bristled end of the toothbrush.

Use any soft bristled toothbrush recommended by your dentist. Recent studies are confirming modern electric toothbrushes such as Braun or Colgate are more effective at plaque removal than manual tooth brushing.

Spit out any excess toothpaste after brushing, but don’t rinse. This will leave a film of toothpaste over the tooth surface that will, with the help of saliva, heal early decay.

Brush your teeth twice or three times daily using a soft bristled toothbrush. Gently vibrate the brush in a circular fashion at a 45 degree angle to the gum line. Then gently vibrate the brush back and forth on each tooth surface until you have effectively cleaned the entire mouth. You should also brush your tongue to remove the bacteria that causes bad breath.

Flossing

Floss daily to remove plaque between teeth that you can't reach with regular brushing. Take 30 to 40cms of dental floss and wrap it around the middle finger of each hand. Pull the floss tightly, and then use your thumb and forefingers to slide the floss gently between each set of teeth. Curve the floss around each tooth and move the floss up and down along the tooth, going as low as you can comfortably get under the gum line. Use a fresh section of floss for each tooth until you have flossed the entire mouth.

Mouthwashes

Rinsing your mouth with an antibacterial mouthwash can helpful in reducing the plaque levels around the mouth, but it must be stressed that it is no substitute for brushing and flossing. If you use a mouthwash, follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully as overuse with some products may cause staining of the teeth.

Diet

Avoid snacking as much as possible, especially with sweet sticky foods or drink. Carbohydrate is converted by the plaque into acid which dissolves your teeth. It is better to eat three meals daily and brush your teeth after eating.

Chewing Gum

Sugarfree chewing gum can be chewed anytime, but especially after meals, to stimulate saliva flow. This can help to neutralise the acids produced while eating and heal any early areas of decay within the enamel structure of the tooth.