The best way to ensure the health of your child's teeth is to teach them great habits when they're young. Read on to learn about the oral care techniques that we promote.
Brushing
Your toothbrush is your most powerful weapon in the fight against plaque, but it's also important to brush your teeth properly to ensure you are getting the benefits from brushing. Plaque is easy to remove, so use a soft brush. Don't rush — brushing your teeth should take about two minutes. Removing plaque once a day will prevent cavities and gum disease. Follow the steps below to optimize your brushing technique.
Point the bristles toward the gums.
Gently wiggle the toothbrush back and forth.
Brush all sides of your teeth:
The Inside (Tongue Side)
The Outside (Cheek Side)
The Top where you Chew
Brush your tongue.
The Use of Fluoridated Toothpaste
Fluoride is a natural element that is found in soil, water (both fresh and salt), and in various foods. It has a positive effect on oral health by making the tooth stronger and more resistant to decay. Fluoride can also prevent or even reverse tooth decay that has already started.
Health Canada recommends that fluoridated toothpaste be used twice a day to brush teeth. A minimum amount of water should be used to rinse the mouth after brushing.
Make sure that your children use no more than a pea-sized amount of toothpaste on their toothbrush, and teach them not to swallow toothpaste. Children under six years of age should be supervised while brushing, and children under the age of three should have their teeth brushed by an adult without using any toothpaste.
Mouthwash
An antimicrobial mouth rinse reduces bacteria in your mouth. If you already have gum disease, brushing and flossing are even more important. See a professional regularly to have your teeth and gums checked. This professional will clean your teeth to remove tartar build-up.
Flossing
The space between your teeth is where plaque will most likely accumulate. Therefore, flossing is essential. You should floss your teeth at least once a day — perhaps first thing in the morning or just before going to bed. Learning to floss properly might take some time and patience. But once you've mastered it, it takes just minutes a day. Simply follow the steps below to remove dental plaque.
Pull out 40 - 50 cm of dental floss from the container.
Wrap the ends of the floss around each of your middle fingers, leaving about 2-3cm of floss between your two fingers.
Use your thumb and index fingers to hold the floss in place.
Wrap the floss around the tooth into a "C" shape.
Gently slide the floss up and down between your tooth and your gums.
Use a new section of floss each time you move to a new space between teeth.
