In honor of dental hygiene month, Jeanine and Jean, our fabulous dental hygienists offer a few tips to enhance your oral hygiene routine:

Choose the right tools and use them in the most effective ways:

Use a soft-bristled toothbrush with a small head.                                                                                       

This allows easier access to hard-to-brush places, and reduces damage to the gums. Your dental hygienist can help you choose the most appropriate toothbrush for you on your next visit to your family dentist.

• Angle the toothbrush at a 45 degree angle, and brush side-to-side.
• Don’t just give it a cursory going-over.  Settle in and actually work on your teeth for a couple of minutes every morning and evening.  
• Don’t forget the area behind your front teeth.
• If you get the chance, a quick brush after a meal is always a good idea.
• Swish and rinse with water after snacking.
• Rinse off your toothbrush after you use it, and let it air-dry.
• Replace your toothbrush every few months.

Use a tongue-scraper.                                                                                                                   

This will help you get rid of the bacteria that clings to your tongue, particularly in the back of your mouth.

Use plenty of Dental Floss.

• Use a long piece of floss, at least a foot to18 inches long, and keep using fresh areas of the floss as you go through your mouth. You don’t want to re-use bacteria-laden floss to shove the bacteria and food particles into the next crevice between the teeth.
• It’s more effective to wrap the floss around each tooth and slide down, so you really help loosen the plaque, and move it away from the gums.  Simply moving floss up and down doesn’t get the plaque as well.
• If you use floss sticks, rinse the floss between each tooth.  Floss sticks are not as effective as using your fingers, because it’s harder to curve the floss around the tooth.

The staff at Distinctive Dentistry is committed to making sure you have the best dental care possible. Our Registered Dental Hygienists have specialized training in the field of dental technology. We use state of the art equipment to ensure you have the best dental hygiene options available.  

Distinctive Dentistry is located just off the freeway in Fife, WA, serving patients in the greater Tacoma area including Gig Harbor, Federal Way and Puyallup.