Good oral hygiene results in a mouth that looks and smells healthy. This means:

1. Teeth are clean and free of debris and calculus.

2. Gums are pink and do not hurt or bleed while brushing and flossing.

3. Bad breath is not a constant problem.

Oral health begins with clean teeth. Keeping the area where your teeth meet your gums clean can prevent gum disease, while keeping your tooth surfaces clean can help you stave off cavities. 

How is Good Oral Hygiene Practiced? 

Maintaining good oral hygiene is one of the most important things you can do for your teeth and gums. Healthy teeth not only enable you to look and feel good, they make it possible to eat and speak properly. Good oral health is important to your overall well-being.Daily preventive care, including proper brushing and flossing, will help stop problems before they develop and is much less painful, expensive, and worrisome than treating conditions that have been allowed to progress.In between regular visits to the dentist, there are simple steps that each of us can take to greatly decrease the risk of developing tooth decay, gum disease and other dental problems. These include:

  • Brushing thoroughly twice a day and flossing daily.
  • Eating a balanced diet and limiting snacks between meals.
  • Using dental products that contain fluoride, including toothpaste.
  • Rinsing with a fluoride mouth rinse if your dentist tells you to.
  • Making sure that your children under 12 drink fluoridated water or take a fluoride supplement if they live in a non-fluoridated area.

Proper Brushing and Flossing Techniques

The following techniques for brushing and flossing your teeth is recommended:

Brushing

  • Place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle against the gums.
  • Move the brush back and forth gently in short (tooth-wide) strokes.
  • Brush the outer tooth surfaces, the inner tooth surfaces, and the chewing surfaces of the teeth.
  • Use the tip of the brush to clean the inside surfaces of the front teeth, using a gentle up-and-down stroke.
  • Brush your tongue to remove bacteria and freshen your breath. 

Flossing

  • Break off about 18 inches of floss and wind it around the middle fingers of each hand. 
  • Hold the floss tightly between your thumbs and forefingers.
  • Guide the floss between your teeth using a gentle rubbing motion.
  • When the floss reaches the gum line, curve it into a C shape against one tooth. 
  • Gently slide it into the space between the gum and the tooth.
  • Bring the floss back toward the contact point between the teeth and move the floss up or down the other side, conforming the floss to the shape of the tooth.
  • Hold the floss tightly against the tooth. Gently rub the side of the tooth, moving the floss away from the gum with up-and-down motions.
  • Repeat this method on the rest of your teeth.