Oral hygiene at home

Oral hygiene is a manageable craft. Three actions decide almost everything that is later discussed at the practice — and none of them is new or demanding. What makes the difference is not the equipment in the bathroom but whether the second and third action actually happen.

The core

1. Brush your teeth twice a day, with a fluoride toothpaste, for about two minutes, systematically and without pressure.
2. Clean the interdental spaces once a day, with interdental brushes or dental floss. This is the step that is missed most often — and the step that decides whether the gums stay inflamed.
3. Supply fluoride, above all through the toothpaste. Where the risk is increased, a gel once a week as well.

Anyone who does this has achieved the greater part of what is possible at home. Tongue cleaners, water flossers, rinses and oil pulling are additions that benefit individual people in individual situations. They do not replace any of the three points.

When to brush — and when not

The evening is the more important of the two occasions. At night less saliva flows, its protective and rinsing effect declines, and the plaque works undisturbed. Whatever is left in the evening has the longest time.

In the morning, the question of before or after breakfast matters less than the question of what was eaten for breakfast. After something acidic — orange juice, fruit, yoghurt, lemonade — the enamel is softer for a short time, and the brush then removes more than usual. Wait about half an hour; drink water or rinse the mouth in the meantime.

The order

Interdental spaces first, then brushing — there is a practical reason for this: opening the interdental spaces first means the fluoride toothpaste is afterwards distributed into them as well. It also works the other way round; what matters more is that both happen.

Do not rinse vigorously after brushing. A residue of toothpaste in the mouth lets the fluoride act for longer. If you want to rinse, use only a little water.

What the most common mistake is

Not brushing too briefly, not the wrong brush — but too hard. Pressure does not improve the cleaning; it bends the bristles so that they slide flat across the tooth instead of reaching into the niches. At the same time it pushes the gums back and wears away substance at the tooth neck. Exposed, sensitive tooth necks are in most cases a sign not of too little but of too much brushing.

The second most common mistake is to rely entirely on the brush. A toothbrush reaches the outer, inner and chewing surfaces. It does not reach the contact surfaces between two teeth, and that is exactly where most gum inflammation and a large part of the caries in adults begins.