How long should your dental routine be?

Do you know the appropriate amount of time to brush your teeth?

Should you use Mouthwash, or Floss your teeth first?

The answer to the question is a little more complicated than a simple answer. We invite you to peruse our informative Austin dental center blog post below!

What is the Ideal Oral Hygiene Routine?

For most people, absent those with special dental needs, they need to brush their teeth twice a day. In the morning when you wake up and at night before you go to bed are the most convenient periods for oral care. This will remove the biofilm that builds up in your sleep or as you eat during the day. The biofilm causes halitosis (bad breath) and can harden into an irritating plaque along the gum line and below the gumline in the small pockets between the teeth and gums.

Although it takes about 24 hours for the biofilm to harden into plaque, it is hard to neutralize all the bacteria and the acids that they produce without brushing twice a day.

Why brush more than twice a day?

The only reason why The Toothbar Dentist in downtown Austin Texas may instruct you to brush more than twice a day is if you have dental appliances or had enamel removed from your teeth, and the surface is no longer smooth. This is because dental appliances and coarse tooth surfaces can trap bacteria and grow it faster.

What kind of Brush should you use?

And when you brush, you should use a soft toothbrush with a head that is small enough to reach all areas of your mouth comfortably. A brush with soft rounded bristles and a jagged tooth pattern will also clean your teeth much better than a flat brush. The American Dental Association (ADA) also recommends that you brush your teeth for at least two minutes on the front, back, sides, and all surfaces of your mouth. Using a high-quality toothpaste that contains fluoride is also recommended because it strengthens your teeth and helps to prevent decay.

And when you brush, you should also gargle and rinse your mouth with mouthwash by swishing it around for at least one minute. This will kill germs and any biofilm that is growing in the deeper recesses of your oral cavity and throat.

When it comes to flossing, there is no designated time to floss. You can floss in the morning, after lunch, in the evening or even a few times a day if you’d like. It is critical to floss at least once a day by gently polishing the surfaces between your teeth and below the gumline. This will save you from having to visit our Austin dental center for the drilling and filling of cavities.

Contact the Toothbar!

When you need preventive dentistry services in Austin, Texas, we will treat you to a relaxing spa-like setting that eases your anxiety. When you want a premier dentist in downtown Austin Texas, The Toothbar delivers the goods.