DIY Dentistry: The Essentials of Oral Home Care

Dental home care is a process of caring for teeth while at home to achieve good oral hygiene, using easy and accessible hygiene aids like brushes, flosses, and tongue cleaners. This requires commitment and perseverance because you cannot expect positive outcomes only through annual dental visits. 

Patient education offered at the dental office Newton MA stresses the importance of oral home care and its benefits in the long run. 

What is oral home care? 

Oral home care is an act of achieving healthy, beautiful teeth and gums using easy and accessible oral hygiene aids. Good oral hygiene habits and a well-balanced diet can help you achieve optimal oral health. 

The most essential oral hygiene habits include the following:

Regular tooth brushing

• The American Dental Association (ADA) suggests using a soft bristle brush and fluoridated toothpaste. 

• You are recommended to brush your teeth twice a day, especially before going to bed at night. 

• The following brushing technique helps remove plaque and debris efficiently from the tooth surface:
  • Place the head of your brush at a 45-degree angle to the gums, and gently brush your teeth in a small circular motion.
  • Carefully brush the inner, outer, and biting surfaces of each tooth.
  • Also, remember to brush your tongue to freshen your breath. 
  • Currently electric toothbrushes are recommended due to increased dexterity. 

Dental flossing

• Daily flossing is the best way to remove plaque from the interdental areas (area between your adjacent teeth).

• This prevents damage to the teeth, gums, and the alveolar bone.

• Take 30 to 40 cm of floss and wrap it around your middle fingers.

• Use your thumb and forefingers to guide the floss to insert it into the interdental area using a sawing motion. 

• To clean the gum line curve the floss into a “C” shape and gently move up and down. 

• Currently, dental floss is available with a floss holder. 

Mouth wash

• It is important to rinse your mouth at least twice a day with an antimicrobial mouthwash, especially after meals. 

• Consult your dentist for an appropriate over-the-counter mouth rinse according to your individual needs.  

Oral hygiene aids like toothbrushes, dental floss, and medicated mouthwash help keep your mouth clean and healthy. Other aids include interdental brushes, rubber tip stimulators, tongue cleaners, and irrigation devices. Taking care of your teeth and gums is crucial since it helps prevent problems like tooth decay, gingivitis, and tooth loss. A healthy mouth paves the way to a healthy mind, body, and soul.