Oral Hygiene

Our dental professionals can help you achieve sound dental hygiene

Excellent oral hygiene is a critical part of maintaining your natural teeth for life. At our Upper Mt Gravatt practice the dental professionals at Family Dental Excellence make it our priority to ensure our patients are equipped with the knowledge to develop a great oral hygiene routine. It is generally recommended that you partner a sound dental hygiene routine with a six monthly active maintenance check-up. This can help to ensure that you are doing everything that you can to preserve the health of your teeth.

Brushing your teeth

Brushing your teeth is a crucial part of an excellent dental hygiene routine. It is generally advised that you brush at least twice a day, with an electric toothbrush if it is possible. It is important to brush for around two minutes to ensure that you reach all of your teeth and remove the bacteria that may have accumulated since you last brushed.

Flossing between the teeth

Flossing is arguably one of the most ignored yet important aspects of an excellent dental hygiene routine. Flossing is important as it removes the plaque that becomes trapped in the tight spaces between the teeth. If this bacteria, or any leftover food particles, is ignored it can cause decay. If this decay is tucked away between the teeth it can reach a serious degree of severity whilst going virtually unnoticed.

Eating habits

The food you consume can significantly affect the health of your teeth. Each time we eat or have a drink the bacteria in our mouth works to break down any residual food or liquid left behind on your teeth.   As this occurs the bacteria turns the left over sugar from your food into an acid that can begin to eat away at your teeth. This is why it can be beneficial to limit consuming foods and drinks that are high in sugar content.

Active maintenance appointments

In addition to these steps it is generally recommended that you visit the dentist approximately once every six months for an active maintenance appointment. This allows the opportunity to help remove the build-up of tartar which cannot be removed by brushing alone. These appointments can also allow the dental professional to identify the development of any problematic dental decay before it progresses to cause potentially more serious damage.