Whats accepted best dental routine

WalterMitty

I brush my teeth twice a day (once some days if i forget) and use a mouthwash thing called plax. Anyway just wondering is this enough, should i invest in an electric toothbrush, would it make my teeth whiter? Should i floss ? basically what is the best practise dental health routine for the average person that is backed by scientific evidence. Cheers

georgieporgy

you need to clean your mouth thoroughly once a day(at least). that means teeth,gums,tongue,everything. If you don't floss then you are not cleaning between your teeth. This generally results in major problems.

When brushing you need to do it right so it's effective. Your dentist will show you how if you ask.

a tongue scraper is handy for cleaning the tongue (one or two swipes and you're done)

No need for electric toothbrush or mouthwash. use them if you want.

Spend 2-3 mins on all of the above and you will be fine.

Squiggle

Are those once a week "Weekly clean " toothpastes worthwhile using?

WalterMitty

georgieporgy wrote: »

you need to clean your mouth thoroughly once a day(at least). that means teeth,gums,tongue,everything. If you don't floss then you are not cleaning between your teeth. This generally results in major problems.

When brushing you need to do it right so it's effective. Your dentist will show you how if you ask.

a tongue scraper is handy for cleaning the tongue (one or two swipes and you're done)

No need for electric toothbrush or mouthwash. use them if you want.

Spend 2-3 mins on all of the above and you will be fine.

i have never flossed in my life so decided to start now. Is the waterpik water jet thing any good? http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/waterpik-ultra-cordless-dental-water-jet-wp450_1_44522.html
I bought dental floss but am struggling to use it. I have big hand s and a small mouth(dentist said before it was like trying to get into a letter box or something). What alternatives exist to manual flossing that are as effective.

georgieporgy

you can get a floss holder like a toothbrush handle (shaped like Y ) with floss at the end. handy for reaching the back teeth.

an electiric brush is helpful for those who have difficulty with manual brushing.

Oral B Triumph is considered the current "best" model (approx 100 euro)

a waterpik (oral irrigator) is an excellent tool. can't go wrong with that. a little messy learning curve. All my patients who use one have nice clean mouths