A person should brush his/her teeth after each meal. Normally a person eats three meals per day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. At minimum, one should brush three times a day. In addition, it is recommended to brush after eating snack between each meal. If it is not possible to brush after eating snack, it is still better to rinse with water than doing nothing at all.
Not only the timing of brushing teeth is important, the method and time duration of brushing also play an important role in dental hygiene. There are many methods of toothbrushing. One method I recommend to patient is to use vertical motion to brush each tooth. Vertical movement will better clean off the plaque between two teeth. Also make sure to brush the gum so to remove any plaque near the gum line. Meticulous brushing is key to remove all plaque. Make sure to brush the back teeth. Completely brushing all teeth should take about three minutes.
Not only brushing is important. Also I recommend to use the dental floss and mouth rinse after brushing. Dental floss will remove any plaque/food debris left over that aren’t accessible to toothbrushes. Also mouth rinse will help control the bacteria on teeth and within the gum pockets.
Written by Daniel Tee, DDS, MS
Dental Office in Tempe AZ
Serving the city of Tempe, Chandler, Phoenix, Gilbert, and Mesa in Arizona. Practicing Family Dentist
