Dental Success Begins at Home

Successful Dental Home Care

The best dental health begins at home. A healthy mouth and a beautiful smile is our chief goal when treating and caring for our patients dental needs. One of our goals is to help you understand how your daily dental habits at home can make your mouth and teeth their healthiest.

Your personal home care plays a critical role in having healthy teeth. Dr. Eifler will recommend you eat a healthy and balanced meal each day, reduce sugary snacks in your diet, floss daily and brush twice per day. These practices help control the plaque and bacteria that cause dental disease.

Daily Brushing – Use an ADA approved soft bristle brush and brush at least twice daily.

1. Angle the soft bristles at a 45 degree angle to the gums and move the brush in a small, circular motion, and try to keep the bristles on the gums always.
2. Move the brush along the inner, outer, and biting surfaces of each tooth.
3. You can also place the tip of the brush so that you adequately clean the inside of the front teeth.
4. Always brush your tongue. This helps to remove bacteria and also freshens your breath.

Doctor Eifler and our dental hygienist recommends electric toothbrushes because of the ease of use and they are better at removing plaque that brushing in other wasys. You do not need to press. Simply allow the electric brush motion do its job.

Daily Flossing – Flossing has long been recommended as the best way to clean between the teeth and under your gum line. Flossing disrupts plaque colonies from buildingup and helps prevent decay or damage to gums, teeth and bone.

1. Use up to sixteen inches (30-40cm) of dental floss. Simply wrap it around your middle fingers, and leave around 2 inches (5cm) of floss between the hands.
2. Guide the floss between teeth using a sawing motion.
3. Be sure to curve the floss around each tooth and under the gum line for best results. No need to be rough. You can gently move the floss up and down, cleaning the sides of each tooth.

Your neighborhood drug store sells floss holders if you have difficulty using conventional floss.

Mouth Rinse – Rinse properly after brushing and also after meals, particularly if you are unable to brush after a meal. When buying over the counter home care products with dental purposes, ask Dr. Eifler or our dental hygienist for their opinion on the product you are considering.

Our office may recommend other dental aids to help you maintain healthy teeth and gums at home. These include: Tongue cleaners, inter-dental brushes, irrigation devices, rubber tip stimulators, medicated rinses and fluoride.

Remember, successful dental health care begins at home.

Contact Dr. George Eifler and AZ Valley Dental today: (602) 956-2260.