Our goal at Hardy Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics is to keep your mouth healthy and your smile bright throughout your orthodontic treatment and this relies heavily on your commitment to proper oral hygiene. Dental health is essential not only for a beautiful smile but also for your overall well-being, as it helps prevent oral diseases and supports lifelong healthy habits.
We provide you with the patient education you need, but you have to commit to doing the work in between visits to achieve real success. To help you obtain and maintain these advised oral hygiene health standards, we believe in educating you on the principles, techniques, tools, and regular maintenance needs to keep your oral health at its best. Research shows that good oral hygiene is linked to a lower risk of systemic diseases, including heart disease and other health conditions. Poor oral hygiene can lead to an increased risk of developing these systemic diseases, making preventative care even more important.
Your home oral hygiene efforts coupled with our efforts at our Erie dental office, which specializes in pediatric dental care, can help you avoid the negative effects of cavities, gum disease, enamel wear and more, and help you smile healthy from childhood through adulthood.
Introduction to Oral Health
Oral health is a vital part of your overall health, and maintaining good oral hygiene is the foundation for a healthy smile that lasts a lifetime. Practicing proper oral hygiene—such as brushing your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and cleaning between your teeth daily with dental floss—helps keep your teeth and gums healthy and reduces the risk of oral health problems like gum disease, tooth decay, and even oral cancer. The American Dental Association recommends these daily habits to remove dental plaque, a sticky film of harmful bacteria that can lead to tooth pain and other oral diseases if left unchecked.
Regular dental visits to a pediatric dentist or general dentist are essential for early detection and prevention of oral diseases. Preventive treatments like dental sealants and orthodontic treatment can further protect your teeth, especially for kids and young adults who are still developing healthy habits. The World Health Organization also highlights the importance of oral health, encouraging families to practice good oral hygiene and make regular dental care a priority. By taking these steps, you can help ensure a lifetime of healthy teeth, a bright smile, and improved overall health.
Brushing with fluoride toothpaste
Proxy Brush for Oral Hygiene
Daily brushing and proper tooth brushing are essential components of oral hygiene. Using a soft-bristle toothbrush with toothpaste, move the toothbrush in small circles, angling the toothbrush along the gum line. This technique will reach the nooks and crannies of your teeth and braces, removing debris and food particles. Do not forget to brush your chewing surfaces, the inside of your teeth, and your tongue. It is important to brush your teeth twice daily to prevent plaque buildup and maintain healthy gums. Since healthy gums should not bleed when brushing with a soft bristle toothbrush, bleeding gums indicate areas that are inflamed, possibly due to gingivitis, and should be brushed more thoroughly and more often to improve oral hygiene. Finally, remember to massage the gums while you are brushing as well. Patients with braces should keep in mind that they have many more areas to clean and should plan on spending a longer time brushing their teeth. These patients may consider using a proxy brush (see image) to reach under the wire and in between brackets.
Flossing with dental floss
Flossing is a very important aspect of oral hygiene, and shouldn’t be glossed over even though with braces flossing may be more time consuming. Flossing helps remove plaque and prevents it from hardening if plaque stays on the teeth, reducing the risk of tartar buildup and gum disease. Patients with braces should set aside 10-15 minutes each evening for flossing. With practice, the time it takes to floss with braces will be reduced. We recommend using a floss threader to make it easier to clean under the wire of your braces. Many patients find it easier to start from their gums and angle towards the tip of the teeth. Once the floss is threaded under the wire, wrap the floss around your fingers and floss in between your teeth as normal. Make sure to guide the floss along the entire length of your teeth as well as in between your teeth and your gums.
Professional teeth cleaning by a dental hygienist is also important to remove tartar that cannot be eliminated by brushing and flossing alone, helping to maintain optimal oral hygiene. If you do not floss regularly, plaque stays on your teeth and can harden into tartar, increasing your risk of gum disease, bleeding gums, and even loose teeth if gum disease progresses.
Additional Oral Hygiene Accessories for oral health
For patients who thoroughly brush and floss, additional oral hygiene materials may not be needed. However, maintaining a balanced oral microbiome is important for overall oral hygiene, as disruptions can contribute to dental problems. Accessories such as the proxy brush or toothpicks may still be useful to ensure your teeth remain as healthy as possible.
Saliva production plays a key role in protecting against cavities and gum disease by helping to wash away food particles and neutralize acids. Decreased saliva production, which is common in older adults, can increase the risk of poor oral health and make it harder to maintain oral hygiene.
Older adults and pregnant women should pay special attention to choosing the right oral hygiene accessories, as they are at higher risk for poor oral health due to age-related changes or pregnancy-related issues. Patients may want to consider an antibacterial mouth rinse or fluoride mouth rinse. A Waterpik® can also assist in removing food debris and massaging the gums.