Dental plaque, a clear, sticky film composed of food debris and other substances, continuously forms on the surfaces of the teeth. It is an excellent breeding ground for bacteria and toxins, or poisons. If the plaque is not removed, it hardens into a rough, porous deposit called calculus, or tartar. Thus, dental plaque plays an important role in dental decay and causes periodontal and other gum diseases—the major cause of tooth loss in adults, affecting three out of four people at some time in life.
    Good oral hygiene, including thorough daily brushing and flossing combined with regular visits to your dentist, is your first-line weapon against the buildup of plaque and eventual periodontal disease. Good oral hygiene also guards your general well-being and health. By helping to prevent periodontal disease, it helps to lower the costs of dental care. Good dental hygiene also promotes more comfortable chewing, contributing to better digestion. It makes speech easier, thus adding to your self-confidence in conversations with your business and social peers. This web page shows you the proper way to brush and floss to help you prevent gum disease, dental decay and tooth loss.

Dr.Becker can direct you in making the right choices of oral hygiene products for your particular needs. The following dental care products are those most often effective for most patients.
     The toothbrush: First, you will need a soft-bristled brush that allows you to reach every tooth and clean teeth properly. Be sure to buy a new one as soon as the brush is worn out or its bristles become bent or frayed. Choices include a variety of manual and automatic brushes and high-tech electronic brushes that are safe and effective for most patients.
    The dental floss: Waxed and unwaxed, flavored and unflavored varieties of floss are available in easy-to-use dispensers.
    Interproximal dental aids: For cleaning between the teeth and massaging the gums after brushing, you might choose the rubber tip, found on the end of some brushes or available as a separate implement. Tiny brushes for cleaning between the teeth are also available as are small sticks or picks designed to remove plaque from between the teeth. To avoid injury to your gums, you must use these dental aids properly. So, discuss their proper use with Dr. Becker.
    The toothpaste and mouth rinse: Using toothpastes and mouth rinses containing fluoride, together with proper brushing and flossing, can achieve as great as a 40 percent reduction in tooth decay. Dr. Becker does not recommend mouth rinses for children younger than six years.
To reduce a buildup of hardened plaque, called tartar or calculus, above the gum line, you might select an anti-tartar toothpaste. However, use of these products has not been proven to reduce gingivitis, the early stage of gum disease, which begins below the gum line. Anti-plaque rinses approved by the American Dental Association are another choice. The chemical agents in these rinses may be effective in controlling gum disease in its early stage. Devices that eject a water spray will thoroughly rinse your mouth, but they are only effective in removing plaque if you use them in combination with proper brushing and flossing.

Place the brush at a 45-degree angle where your teeth and gums meet, Diagram A.
    Use small, circular strokes to move the brush gently back and forth several times until you have cleaned the outer surfaces of all your teeth. Apply light pressure to position the bristles between the teeth. Too much pressure can cause discomfort, Diagram B.
     Next, use the same method on the inside of the back teeth. Keep the brush at an angle against the gum line as you rotate the brush in small circles, Diagram C. Clean the inside surfaces of your teeth by holding the toothbrush straight up and down. Make small circular strokes across the biting surfaces of your teeth, Diagram D.

To effectively clean plaque from those surfaces between the teeth requires proper flossing technique. Acquiring that skill takes time and practice. The following instructions can help to guide you in your daily flossing routine.
     Cut off about a foot-and-a-half of floss. Lightly wind most of the floss around the middle finger of one hand, and wind the remainder of the floss around the middle finger of the other hand, Diagram E.
    Clean the upper teeth by holding the floss lightly between your thumb and forefinger of each hand. Keep your fingers that are controlling the floss no more than half an inch apart, Diagram F. Move the floss back and forth to gently work it between your teeth. Never force or snap the flossto position it between your teeth. Form the floss into a C-shape against one tooth. Then, slide the floss into the space between the gum and the tooth until you can feel resistance. Slide the floss up and down, first on one side of one tooth, and then the other side of the tooth. Do this on all your upper teeth, Diagram G.
    As the floss becomes worn or soiled, unwind one turn of the floss from one middle finger and take up the slack by winding the floss one turn onto your other middle finger. Guide the floss with the forefingers of both hands to clean your bottom teeth. Remember to floss the backside of the last upper and the last bottom tooth on both sides of your mouth, Diagram H. It is not unusual to have sore or bleeding gums during the first week you floss.

Disclosing tablets or a disclosing solution, made of harmless vegetable dyes that stain plaque, is available from Dr. Becker or at a drugstore. If you use the tablet, chew it until it dissolves. If you use the solution, swish it vigorously around in your mouth, then spit it out. Rinse your mouth with water. Next, look in a mirror. Any stain that appears indicates the presence of remaining plaque. Finally, gently brush and floss the remaining stained areas until the dye disappears.

After a dental treatment, you may have sensitivity to hot and cold lasting a few weeks. Nonetheless, you still have to maintain good oral hygiene; otherwise, your teeth will remain sensitive, with increasing severity. If your teeth are especially sensitive, Dr. Becker recommends that you use a medicated toothpaste or mouth rinse made specifically for sensitive teeth. Your adherence to the guidelines presented here will help you maintain good oral health and help you keep your teeth for your lifetime.