As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so we've compiled some of our best homecare tips to help you take great care of your teeth and gums at home!
Homecare Tip #1: Sonicare Flexcare toothbrush
The Phillips Sonicare Flexcare Plus toothbrush is the best toothbrush available; it's far superior to a manual toothbrush and outperforms many other electric brushes as well. If you're interested in taking your homecare to the next level, getting a Sonicare toothbrush is a great place to start!
Homecare Tip #1.5: Brush with a Sonicare toothbrush for 3 - 6 minutes twice per day.
Homecare Tip #2: WaterPik Water Flosser
Most people don't have the time or patience to floss nearly as often as they or their hygienist would like them to. A WaterPik is an excellent floss replacement that will help you keep your teeth and gums immaculately clean.
If you've already upgraded from a manual toothbrush to a Sonicare, you know it was worth it - upgrading from floss to a WaterPik will be just as beneficial!
If you're still using a manual toothbrush, please go back to Homecare Tip #1.
Homecare Tip #2.5: WaterPik your teeth and gums after your nighttime brushing
Homecare Tip #3: Listerine
Listerine is much more than an optional breath-freshener! It's a scientifically formulated mouth rinse that's clinically proven to eliminate 97% of the germs that cause gum disease! Try Citrus Listerine for some of the most mild and most refreshing taste! Basically, you must use Listerine because of the following video! :-)
Homecare Tip #3.5: After brushing and WaterPik-ing, rinse with a few ounces of full-strength Listerine. Spit but don't rinse with water afterwards. Then, don't eat or drink anything for ten minutes.
Basic Oral Hygiene
We’ve all heard the old adage: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This adage couldn’t be truer when it comes to dental hygiene at home. Proper daily oral hygiene lays the groundwork for a healthy smile.
To help you perfect the art of proper oral hygiene at home, here are a few tips:
Brush at least twice a day – Brushing your teeth removes food debris, plaque and bacteria off of your teeth.
Never go to bed without freshly brushed teeth – Leaving food debris on the teeth accelerates dental decay and gum disease
Place your brush at a 45 degree angle when brushing – Brushing with the bristles of the brush at a 45 degree angle to the tooth surface is more effective than brushing at a 90 degree angle (perpendicular) to the tooth.
Floss once a day – Did you know that flossing is the ONLY way you can clean between your teeth effectively at home? That’s why flossing is so highly recommended by dentists.
Brush with a Phillips Sonicare electric toothbrush – Think of a Sonicare toothbrush like a power tool for cleaning your teeth: sure, you could get by without one, just like you could get by without a car, but why would you want to do it the hard way?
Use a gentle touch – Brushing too vigorously can damage the gums and even cause them to recede
Concentrate on brushing all sides of your teeth – Don’t forget the back sides of your back teeth!
Brush your tongue – Brushing the tongue is strange at first but it’s important to dislodge the bacteria that could be living there.
Rinse with Listerine at last once per day for 1 minute – Rinsing with an antimicrobial agent like Listerine can kill 99% of gum disease-causing bacteria in your mouth. If such a terrific antimicrobial rinse exists, why not use it?!
And remember: You don't have to brush and floss ALL of your teeth; just brush and floss the teeth you want to keep! :-)
