For a healthy mouth, brush and floss your teeth every day. Removing the plaque that builds up on your teeth and tongue will help prevent bad breath, cavities and gum disease.
Tips for brushing
- Brush your teeth twice a day. Brush in the morning after breakfast and at night before bed. Brush for two minutes each time.
- Use a soft bristled toothbrush.
- Use toothpaste with fluoride.
- Don't scrub too hard.
- Get a new toothbrush every three to four months. Sooner, if bristles look worn or frayed. A worn-out toothbrush doesn't clean your teeth well.
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Brushing instructions for adults
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- Use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste on your toothbrush.
- Hold the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle. Place it where your tooth meets the gum.
- Move the brush in short strokes in a gentle circle motion. Repeat five times in each area.
- Brush the outside and inside of each tooth.
- For the back of your front teeth, angle your toothbrush. Use the tip and pull forward. Repeat five times in each area.
- Brush the chewing surfaces of each tooth. Go back and forth. Reach all the way to the back of your mouth.
- Brush your tongue. This removes germs and freshens your breath.
- Develop a routine to brush all the surfaces of your teeth.
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Brushing instructions for children
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Clean your child's mouth every day. Do it even if they don't have teeth. Your baby's first tooth may appear around six-months old. From birth, wipe the inside of your child's mouth with a clean washcloth or a finger brush. This will give your baby fresh breath. They will get used to you cleaning their mouth. When there are a few baby teeth, start using a small soft toothbrush to clean them. Make sure to:
- Use water only for children under three.
- Use a smear of toothpaste the size of a grain of rice for children between three and five.
- Hold the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle. Place it where the tooth meets the gum.
- Move the brush in a gentle circle motion. Repeat five times in each area.
- Brush the outside and inside of each tooth.
- For the back of the front teeth, angle the toothbrush. Use the tip and pull forward. Repeat five times in each area.
- Brush all the chewing surfaces of each tooth using a back and forth motion. Reach all the way to the back of the mouth. Repeat five times in each area.
- Gently brush the tongue to remove germs.
- Parent should help children brush their teeth until they are eight or nine years old.
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Flossing
Floss your teeth to remove plaque from areas that your toothbrush can't reach. Brushes can't clean between teeth under the gums. Flossing cleans one-third of your teeth missed by brushing alone. Use the floss that you like the most or one that your dental professional recommends.
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Flossing instructions
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- Use a piece of floss about the length of your arm.
- Wrap the floss around each middle finger.
- Use your index fingers and thumbs to hold about two inches of floss in place.
- Use your thumbs to guide the floss on your upper teeth and your index fingers to guide the floss on your lower teeth.
- Gently insert the floss between the teeth by moving it in a back and forth in a see-saw fashion until it reaches the gumline.
- Wrap the floss into a "c" shape around the base of the tooth and gently under the gumline and move it up and down on one side of the tooth, two or three times to remove anything on the tooth (food or plaque).
- Move the floss to the next tooth and repeat.
- Wrap the dirty floss on one middle finger and release a clean piece of floss from the other and repeat the steps for all remaining teeth.
- Be sure to floss both sides of every tooth and don't forget the backs of your last molars.
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