You may wonder what we mean when we say that you should always practice gentle dental care. Even though we explain that aggressive care can result in some serious problems, such as damaged enamel, gum recession, and more, these are just adjectives as far as you are concerned. What do they really entail, you think to yourself? Fortunately, our Ankeny, IA team can break down the details in regard to what “gentle” implies, so you know without a doubt that you’re on track with cleaning your smile and keeping it safe!
We remind patients that to begin, you should always only use a toothbrush that has soft bristles. If you use a brush with other textures, such as firm or medium, you are already a bit “doomed” from the start. These are too hard and can lead to problems for your oral health.
Gentle dental care means you’re not using a lot of force or pressure when you do anything for your smile. So, if you’re brushing, you’re making small strokes, you’re delicate, and you’re thorough. You don’t want to fly through sessions. Instead, take a full two minutes, brush all surfaces in a metered manner, and you’ll be just fine.
As for your flossing, you don’t want to snap it between teeth or press very hard. You want to use just enough pressure to remove plaque from the sides of your teeth. Make sure you gently wiggle the floss down beneath your gum tissue as you begin. See? Simple, gentle dental care.
When you brush your smile, you want to clean it the best that you can, so it’s free of plaque, so it remains white, and more. Your instinct may be to find something that really scrubs that dental tissue of yours! However, we remind you that you already have the soft bristles of your toothbrush doing a pretty good job at taking care of that gentle scrubbing you need. So, when it comes to your toothpaste, you don’t want any additional scrubbing. You just want fluoridated paste free of anything that might be abrasive!
Whether you’re having problems that you feel need repairs or you aren’t sure if your hygiene is on track, bring your questions to us!
When you think you may have a problem with your smile, avoid the desire to try to fix it yourself. Instead, call our team and let us know that you are experiencing a symptom or change and we will see you ASAP. Find out if you’re making good choices by scheduling a visit with your Ankeny, IA dentist today! Contact Peddicord Family Dentistry to set up an appointment by calling 515-963-3339.
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