Dental Hygiene

Oral Hygiene Instruction

Flossing

  1. Use unwaxed dental floss.
  2. Make sure floss is tight against tooth surface and fingers are close to teeth, approximately one inch of floss between fingers.
  3. Rock floss back and forth to get into tight spaces – do not snap down onto tissues.
  4. Start at the same place each time – feel with tongue each space.
  5. Keep right hand on right side – left hand on left side.
  6. Remember two fingers do not crowd your mouth like four fingers will.

Preparing to Floss

    1. Go all the way to the end of the floss and wrap over the tops of the two middle fingers.

    2. Wrap the floss just past the first knuckle – not around the end of the finger.
    3. Tuck wrapped fingers and the little fingers out of the way.
    4. Bring the floss to the points where the thumbs will touch.
    5. Always have the thumbs and fingers in the position before reaching in the mouth.

    Ready to Floss

    1. To floss the upper teeth, use the thumbs or thumb and one finger. To floss the lower teeth, use two fingers.
    2. Always keep the right hand on the right and the left hand on the left.
    3. Slide fingers or thumbs about an inch apart on floss pushing as you go.

    1. If teeth are tight together rock floss carefully back and forth until it is loose between teeth.
    2. Make a C shape with the floss around the shape of the tooth keeping fingers close together.
    3. Pull on the floss to get the tooth in front and pushing on the floss to get the tooth in back.
    4. Floss gently up and down going carefully under the gumline, do this 6 or 8 times until squeaky clean.
    5. Start in the same place every time, count the teeth and follow the tongue.

    6. When flossing around the back teeth, reach in from the center of the mouth and push the cheek out of the way and allow for plenty of floss between the hands.

Brushing

  1. Use a soft toothbrush
  2. Butler 471 Micro Tip Compact
  3. Use Oxyfresh toothpaste.
  4. Short back and forth strokes – two teeth at a time.
  5. Brush all surfaces and at gumline – do not traumatize tissues. Try to use only wrist action and 2 fingers and the thumb.
  6. Brush with right and left hands.
  7. Clean tissues and brush surface of tongue.
  8. Feel your teeth with your tongue before and after you brush.

How to Brush

  1. Hold on to the tip end of the Brush.
  2. Place brush at 45-degree angle into the gum line.
  3. Brush two or three teeth at a time gently going back and forth.
  4. Brush both sides of teeth, behind very back teeth, and biting surface.
  5. Turn tooth brush up on end when brushing back side of upper and lower front teeth.
  6. Brush tongue.

Perio – Aid:

  1. Use soft wood toothpicks.
  2. This is a very good cleaning aid for hard to get to areas.

We suggest you floss first, then brush, and then finish with a perio-aid when recommended.

This total oral hygiene program must be done once every 24 hours – preferably the same time each day. You may wish to do this while watching television, reading, etc.

Any other oral hygiene routines you have (brushing morning, noon, night, etc.) feel free to continue, but do not substitute for our recommended procedure.

Use of Perio-Aid

Rake between each tooth, cheek, and tongue side, upper and lower.

1. The tongue side is difficult to clean.

2. Pay close attention.

3. Insert any round toothpick in slot to desired length from side marked insert pick this side.

4. Slide toothpick forward until it “clicks” into hole.

5. Slide ring forward to lock toothpick and break off excess toothpick.

6. The formation of a brush aids placque removal.

Make a soft brush with the tip of the toothpick by chewing on it and compressing against thumb thumbnail. Trace along gum line (do not go under gum line) making sure you clean each tooth individually, tongue, and cheek side, upper and lower.

This is a very good cleaning aid for hard to get areas; to be used along with floss and toothbrush.