FAQs

• Dr Smithas Dental Center recommends using a soft tooth brush. The food we eat is soft and does not require aggressive forces to clean. A pea size of fluoridated, creamy toothpaste placed such that most of it is within the bristles and a thin layer is on top, is sufficient to clean all the teeth.
• To clean the surfaces of the back teeth towards the cheek and tongue the strokes are the same. Angle your brush at 45 degrees to the gum (where the gum and teeth meet) and use either sweeping motions towards the teeth or small circular motions cleaning 2-3 teeth at a time.
• The inner surfaces of the upper and lower front teeth are cleaned using vertical strokes keeping the brush vertical from the gum towards the teeth.
• On the chewing surface back and forth strokes are used to clean.
• Do not forget to brush the surface of your tongue from back to front.
• Rinse thoroughly.
• Change your tooth brush every 3 months and even earlier if the bristles fray. Do use gentle strokes.
• 2-3 minutes twice daily is sufficient to keep your teeth and gums healthy.
• Sonic brushes used with similar strokes are recommended.

• Dental decay and gum disease usually start between teeth where it is tough for the toothbrush to reach. Food lodgement is the common culprit. It is therefore necessary to clean between every tooth everyday.
• Floss is a waxed thread which slips into these spaces to help clean the plaque and the food particles.
• Take about 18 inches of the floss to clean between all the teeth. Most of it is wrapped around one index finger and less on the other so as and when we use a portion we can release and wind to get a fresh piece of floss.
• Every tooth space has a triangular shaped gum, one has to floss either side of the triangle cleaning the respective surfaces of the teeth. Hold the floss tight and slip it in between the teeth. Hold it to a c- shape to hug the surface of one tooth. Use up and down strokes reaching down until the gum base where you feel resistance and pull it out. Use the similar motion going down the same space but onto the surface of the adjacent tooth. Follow this on every tooth use a fresh portion of the floss.
• Initially there could be bleeding from the gums which will get better over time as the plaque layer is removed. Flossing is easier after getting your teeth professionally cleaned as the tough deposits will not allow for the floss to pass through.
• Floss picks and water flossers have made flossing easier to do and are recommended.

• Mouthrinse/Mouthwash cannot replace brushing or flossing but can be used in addition as an aid.
• There are broadly two types of mouthwash: Cosmetic and Therapeutic
• Cosmetic mouthwashes contain alcohol and give a sense of fresh breathe temporarily.
• Therapeutic mouthwashes contain active ingredients and have specific uses like caries control, antiseptic properties to prevent progress of gum disease, numbing properties for patients suffering from mouth ulcers, as a wetting agent for people with dry mouth etc.
• It is recommended not to rinse with water, eat or drink after using the mouthwash for at least half an hour so it can have its effect.

• Bad breath
• Tooth discolouration to yellow or brown
• Sensitivity
• Food lodgement between teeth or on top of the teeth. Feeling of there being a hole in the tooth.
• Bleeding gums when brushing your teeth
• Pain on chewing

It is important to get your teeth checked at least once a year so that every issue related to your teeth and gums are detected early preventing the need for extensive procedures.

The yearly check include:

• Checking for cavities
• Gum disease
• Clenching or grinding of teeth
• Checking the bite
• Signs of oral cancer