How to Brush & Floss Your Teeth
Brushing and flossing are the foundation of a healthy smile. Here are the fundamentals to ensure that when you do care for your teeth, you're giving yourself the maximum amount of protection.
Why Daily Care Matters
Anytime you eat, you expose your teeth to plaque. Plaque attaches itself to your teeth and works to decay tooth enamel or infect the gums. Twice-a-day brushing is the minimum to manage the plaque that builds up after hours of sleeping and after a day of eating and snacking.
Brushing removes plaque from the surface of your teeth and gums — but a toothbrush can't reach between your teeth. Those spaces are just as prone to plaque and tartar, which is why flossing is an essential part of your daily routine.
The 2-Minute Rule
With proper technique, only about two minutes are required to properly brush your teeth. Pair that with a few minutes of flossing and you have a brief, efficient, essential daily routine.
How to Brush
In a perfect world, you would brush every time you eat. While that's not practical for most people, twice a day is the minimum — once in the morning and once at night.
- 1Use only a pea-sized bit of fluoridated, ADA-approved toothpaste — fluoride protects enamel and can even reverse early tooth decay.
- 2Hold your toothbrush at a 45° angle, and be sure to brush both the teeth and the gums.
- 3Use a gentle, circular motion — plaque is delicate and easily removed, so harsh brushing isn't needed.
- 4Brush the chewing surface and the front and back of every tooth.
- 5Clean your tongue and the roof of your mouth as well.
- 6Brush for about two minutes total — twice a day, once in the morning and once at night.
- 7If using a powered toothbrush, hold it at the proper angle and move across all areas of your mouth for two minutes.
How to Floss
Flossing may feel complicated at first, but with practice it takes very little time — and the dental benefits are real. It reaches the spaces between teeth that brushing alone can't.
- 1Break off about 18" of floss and wind it around one finger as an anchor.
- 2Hold the floss between your anchored fingers and thumb.
- 3Guide the floss between your teeth using a gentle rubbing motion.
- 4Rub the space between the teeth, gradually working your way up to the gum.
- 5At the gum, twist the floss into a "C" shape and slide it gently into the gum to clean this area.
- 6Repeat for every tooth — especially the back teeth, where food is most likely to accumulate.
Consider a Water Flosser
For people who have difficulty with traditional flossing, a water flosser is a real alternative. While it doesn't provide the same mechanical scraping action as dental floss, the high-pressure jet of water is an effective way to remove plaque. A quality water flosser also rinses out the pocket areas of your gum in a way dental floss can't.
The Ideal Routine
In a perfect world, a combination of brushing, dental floss, and water floss would be the ultimate oral hygiene regimen. Most people won't do all three — but a combination of brushing with either dental floss or a water flosser is still an excellent daily habit to maintain.
Have Questions About Your Routine?
Our team at Mega Dental is happy to help you build a daily oral care routine that works for you.