I always wonder if it would help making a general post about dental care tips so here goes. (For reference, I am able to provide this guidance under supervision usually in a hospital setting, so this information is correct and expected of me when treating patients).
Brushing 2x day is important, even once a day if you can, do it before you sleep because that's when you're not swallowing and flushing out your mouth so plaque stays stagnant and causes trouble.
Use a fluoride toothpaste - it is the single most impactful component in our modern hygiene ritual from the past 40y that has reduced the amount of caries we see in patients.
Spit, do NOT rinse after brushing. Not even with mouthwash. Just spit the excess toothpaste out. Trust me. You'll get used to it after 2 days!
Please floss. Find the best way for you - use floss, flossettes or the tepe brushes. 1x a day is the optimal amount, before you sleep. 40% of plaque is between the teeth!
A Waterpik cannot replace floss, it can feel nice but you need to mechanically scrape away plaque and bits of food stuck in there.
If you can, use an electric toothbrush cause it can be helpful with timing and pressure sensing.
2 minutes of brushing is a lot longer than you'd think. Have a go at timing it and see what you find :).
Make sure you're replacing your brushes/brush heads every 3 months or once the bristles fray.
Keep in mind the amount of pressure you're placing when you brush - you don't need a lot otherwise you'll traumatise your gums.
If you wish to use a mouthrinse, you can at any time other than brushing (unless the rinse is prescribed). The reasoning for this is the fluoride content is significantly lower and will essentially wash away the toothpaste fluoride you've just applied, rendering it meaningless and your teeth are unprotected. You can have a look at the packaging- most toothpastes are around 1400ppm whereas mouthrinse is 350ppm.
Avoid charcoal and whitening toothpastes. They're too abrasive and will wear away your teeth if you use them. If you really want to use a whitening toothpaste, do it 1/week and avoid foods/drinks that stain e.g. coffee, wine etc once you've used it.
Charcoal blocks fluoride uptake in the teeth so seriously avoid it. It's not going to help.
Don't forget your tongue! Scrape it with your brush or you can get tongue scrapers. The tongue is a reservoir of bacteria and can replenish unfavourable bacteria species population after brushing, leading to some bad breath.
If you find your mouth is quite dry, you may have xerostomia which could be caused by a number of things. It is a common side effect of many medications so keep this in mind and drink water :). Saliva is really helpful in maintaining the health of your mouth so we want to make sure we're maintaining that role!
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