How to Clean Teeth

An important part of remaining healthy is to keep your teeth clean and tidy. You can keep yourself away from several problems such as bad breath, tooth decay, discoloration of teeth, and gum disease by being watchful in your dental hygiene. Preventing the building up of plaque on and between the teeth is one of the ways of keeping your teeth clean.

You might wonder as to what is plaque? Plaque is made up of food debris, bacteria, and saliva which can lead to dental problems along with many other factors, as it releases acids onto the enamel of your teeth. These problems can be prevented by cleaning your teeth regularly and properly.

Steps for Cleaning Teeth

Begin with Brushing

You need to brush your teeth at least twice a day. Make sure that you use fluoridated toothpaste, with the ADA sign on it. Always brush in a short and to and fro motion and spend at least 20 seconds on each part of the teeth. You can also spit in between brushing for removing surplus toothpaste from the mouth. Ensure that you brush properly and in a gentle way, as improper and violent brushing can cause injury to the gums. After brushing your teeth, use the backside of your brush for brushing your tongue for getting rid of bad breath.

Floss your Teeth after Brushing

It's likely for cavities to form between your teeth and for this reason, it's important to floss your teeth. Generally, you must floss your teeth at least once a day, possibly before going to bed. You can also do it more than one time if you feel so and can also use any type of floss as all are usually the same. Flossing helps in cleaning the areas between the teeth and it's a quick and easy way to clean your teeth and keep them and the gums healthy.

Use a Mouthwash

It's important that you buy a mouthwash that has the seal of Indian Dental Association. You can buy one such as Listerine that's antimicrobial or one like Act that's a fluoride rinse. There are also some other mouthwash that are approved by the IDA and you can find the seal on the bottle. Remember not to swallow the mouthwash and just follow the instructions given on the bottle. Use a mouthwash after you finish with brushing and flossing.

Use Disclosing Tablets

These tablets are known to be the most effective tool when it comes to getting clean teeth. These tablets are available online or at any medical store and are little colored pills (generally blue or red) that you can chew. Put one of the tablets in your mouth after you finish brushing and flossing and chew it completely. The dyes present in these tablets would hold on to the plaque on your teeth. This makes it much easier for you to determine the spots on your teeth that you've missed. After brushing your teeth one more time, you just need to concentrate on just on those particular spots. Perform this process about every 3 days, so that you know the areas that you're likely to miss while brushing.

Visit a Dentist

There's a high possibility of the plaque building up, no matter how perfectly you clean your teeth. It's important to have your teeth cleaned by a dentist or an oral hygienist at least twice a year. They've got all the equipments required to scrape the plaque from your teeth that's building up below the gum line. This would help you to avoid gingivitis and periodontal disease. Visiting a doctor twice a year would not only help you in having a clear examination of your teeth, but would also let you know whether you need to have dental implant or not.