Focused on Prevention
Good oral hygiene is the foundation for your oral health! From gum disease to cavities, a good oral hygiene program focused on prevention is the most important step to keeping your teeth and gums healthy.
Customized Oral Hygiene Program
With periodontal disease, implants, and gum recession, tailoring your hygiene regiment becomes even more important. We will help you identify what is working, and what areas can be improved. There are many ways to improve homecare, and we will assist you in using the right hygiene aids and techniques to fit your needs.
Long-Lasting Health
Whether you have undergone periodontal therapy, implants, gum grafts or bone grafts, long-term health and success rests upon effective daily oral hygiene. It’s a team effort and we want to give you all the tools necessary to have a great foundation and beautiful smile.
Toothbrushing
Toothbrushing is the #1 most important daily oral hygiene activity to do. We recommend twice daily, especially at night before bed, for 2 minutes each session. If a manual toothbrush is difficult to use for you, we recommend an Electronic toothbrush such as Sonicare or OralB. Brushing should be done with a soft-bristle head and with a 45 degree angle to the gumline.
Flossing
We understand, flossing is difficult! But, it’s also #2 on our importance list. It is especially important with periodontal disease. Floss will help remove plaque from between the teeth and under the gumline. Lack of flossing can lead to bone loss. It’s also very important around implants to keep them healthy. Flossing should be done once a day or at least every other day to help keep gums, bone and implants healthy.
Rinses
Can be a third line of defense that chemically prevents plaque bacteria from forming, as well as inhibit fungus, improve gingivitis, and freshen breath. We may recommend a daily rinse as part of your program, in addition to brushing and flossing. Popular brands that have well documented success are Listerine and Crest Pro Health.
Waterpik
A newer product that has come on the market is the waterpik, and many patients really find it helpful. It will spray water (or a rinse) into an area that may be hard to reach with brushing or flossing. It can help remove food from trap areas and clean under bridges or implant-dentures. While not a substitute for brushing/flossing, it’s a great tool for many patients.
Proxybrush / Interdental Brush / Other Aids
There are variety of additional products that can help in specific circumstances. We don’t want your oral hygiene program to get too complex, but these tools can be very helpful when used properly. A proxybrush will help clean between teeth and may work better than even brushing or flossing in a hard-to-clean area. We recommend dipping the brush in listerine or toothpaste so that there is added benefit. Other tools such as interdental brushes, toothpicks, floss threaders are also useful and we can help you decide which ones to use and how.
