Sparkly Clean: The Ultimate Daily Dental Hygiene Routine

When it comes to brushing your teeth, there are many debates about the best routine to follow; should you brush before or after mouthwash? Is flossing really necessary? How long should you brush before or after eating?

As dental experts, we’re here to settle the debate and offer you the correct steps to be taken in order to ensure squeaky clean oral hygiene.

Step 1: Flossing

We know flossing is a chore, but yes, it does matter. Flossing is important for cleaning the areas in your teeth that brushing can’t always reach, namely the areas between each tooth and between your teeth and gums, ensuring any food particles and plaque are dislodged from these before you go in with your toothbrush.

It’s also important to ensure that you don’t rush through this process. To floss properly, you should take a taut strip of floss and glide it between two teeth, then bring it up as high as you comfortably can into the area between your teeth and gums (on each side). You should then gently floss up and down between the teeth. Repeat this process between each tooth.

If you have large gaps between your teeth, then you can choose to use an interdental brush as an alternative to brushing.

Step 2: Mouthwash

Next is mouthwash. Now, one of the largest debates regarding dental hygiene is whether you should brush before mouthwash or vice versa. The answer? Mouthwash first.

Not only is it a good idea to swish mouthwash after flossing to further dislodge any food particles, but swishing mouthwash is great for cleaning the areas of your mouth that your brush doesn’t reach. There is bacteria present in all areas of your mouth, including your tongue, tonsils and the roof of your mouth, and mouthwash is great at cleaning these.

The reason, however, why you should use mouthwash (even ones containing fluoride) before brushing is because it washes away the active ingredients, such as the concentrated fluoride, in your toothpaste that are left on the surface of your teeth after brushing, which are essential for protecting your enamel.

Step 3: Brushing

Now that you’ve effectively prepared your teeth, it’s time for brushing. Regardless of whether you use a manual or electric toothbrush, it’s important that you brush your teeth for two minutes and ensure that you are cleaning all the surfaces of your teeth. This includes the inside, outside and chewing surfaces.

We also recommend that you additionally brush at a 45° angle, so that you are targeting the area where your gums and teeth meet.

Whether you’re brushing your teeth before or after you eat or drink, it’s important that you don’t do so for at least 30 minutes. Waiting 30 minutes before eating allows your enamel to regain full strength to chew food properly without being weakened. As for brushing after you eat, you should wait 30-60 minutes, because the acids present in food can weaken the enamel layer of your tooth, making them more prone to damage from the action of brushing.

Professional Dental Hygienists

If you’re looking for a personalised dental hygiene plan, then it’s important that you seek the help of an expert.

Here at Acorn Dental Health, our dental hygienists can provide you with a personal treatment plan to help keep your teeth in fantastic condition. This could include treatments for healthy teeth and gums, such as teeth polishing.

Get in touch with us today to discuss your oral hygiene.