For the majority of patients dental health is pretty straightforward, most issues come when they aren’t practising a good oral hygiene routine. When you visit our dentist in Chiswick for your oral health check-up, they will be able to indicate any issues that could be developing. For most this comes in the form of gum disease or tooth decay, which left untreated are the two leading causes of tooth loss. Both gum disease and tooth decay are avoidable if patients are practising a good oral health routine and so we’ve put together top tips on getting a good all round deep clean.

Brushing

When it comes to brushing, there are a few practices to follow to ensure a good all round clean. First you need to get into the habit of cleaning for long enough. Lots of patients think they are brushing for the full two minutes, but actually it’s more like one. Set a timer on your phone for a couple of weeks to get in the habit of brushing for long enough. If you want to be a really good student you could even set a timer every thirty seconds as this can indicate when to move onto the next quarter of the mouth.

When brushing, it’s best practice to use a circular motion over the full 360 degrees of the tooth, making sure you are paying extra care and attention to the gum line, as this is where most of the bacteria and germs build up causing plaque and tartar.

Flossing

It’s been reported that only 31% of British people floss between their teeth – that’s a pretty shocking fact. Flossing is the absolute key to maintaining really healthy gums. It’s only through flossing that patients are able to get to the deep pockets in the gums where the main build-up of germs develops. We totally understand that to begin with, flossing can feel like a real effort, but trust us when we say over time, it becomes second nature. Speak with our dentist in Chiswick when you’re next in the practice to see the best techniques when it comes to flossing.

Mouthwash

Mouthwash is in no way a ‘must’ in oral health, but it can be a great, easy and affordable way to maintain fresh breath and also get a good dose of fluoride onto your teeth. Fluoride is what helps the body maintain a good healthy layer of enamel over the teeth and of course when enamel is weakened it’s likely to lead to tooth decay, which we want all our patients to avoid where possible. Speak with our dentist in Chiswick to see which mouthwashes they recommend as part of a good oral health routine.

Check-ups

Now this might sound obvious, but in June 2021 it was reported that only 41% of adults had seen a dentist in the last two years. There are so many dental issues that can be showing early signs that only a dentist can pick up on, so it’s very important to make regular trips. We would hope to see all our patients every six months to ensure dental health at its optimum. Prevention is always better than cure when it comes to health and that includes the health of your teeth and gums.