In one of my responses someone wrote about having "impeccable oral hygiene" My question is what EXACTLY

Question

would that consist of? Details please-what actions would make one's hygiene behavior impeccable?

Specifics of how, when what, etc. as I want to save my gums, my teeth, without having to have gum surgery!

Answer 1

I am a dental assistant. What we consider impeccable oral hygiene is:

Brushing at least twice a day for no less than 2 minutes.
Flossing once a day
Getting a professional cleaning every 3-6 months, depending on dentist or hygientists recommendations
Making sure that any active decay is removed and tooth is restored

Basically, when a dentist, assistant, or hygientist tells you how to properly care for your mouth, you follow their instuctions as closely as possible.

And before you even consider gum surgery, please look into the PerioLase procedure. As I have answered to your questions before, this is the only know way to regenerate bone. Only about a handful of dentists have one of these.

Answer 2

Consistent brushing with toothpaste that has as little sugar/flavor as possible (when you wake up/go to bed, after every meal) flossing as well.

Brush the place where your teeth join the gums (if you haven't brushed there in a while they might bleed the first few times)

Answer 3

Brushing 3 or more times a day, flossing at least once, scraping your tongue or brushing your tongue everytime you brush your teeth. Brushing up from the botom teeth and down for the top teeth , never across, get regular dental check up and cleaning.

Answer 4

Speaking as a dentist.......

Oral hygiene doesn't have to be impeccable for your teeth to remain cavity-free. Believe it or not, your teeth and oral cavity were designed to protect you from cavities.

Yet, dental caries is the single most common type of infection known to man. So why do we get cavities, you might ask? Because of the sugar-laden foods we eat. Our cro-magnon ancestors, who probably never cleaned their teeth, likely had much fewer incidences of dental caries than we do because they consumed less sugar and ate a variety of foods--some of which actually helped to clean the teeth.

Your mouth is an incredibly well designed machine, and each and every one of your teeth is a miracle of evolution. Each one evolved to accomplish a very specific task consistent with the kind of lifestyle Homo sapiens evolved to live.

Your incisors are thin and sharp--perfect for slicing off foods inserted into your mouth.

Your premolars have a biting surface, yet are still more sharp than your molars and are well suited for quickly breaking up a bolus of food before it is sent to the molars.

Your molars, which are less sharp, have broader blunted cusps that are perfect for grinding up foods--somewhat like a wheat mill.

Your tongue has remarkable dexterity for a muscle that has no direct bony attachment or any bony support whatsoever. It is capable of quickly shifting food from right to left, turning it over, and forming a seal that keeps food off the floor of your mouth.

Your cheeks consist of a muscle called the buccinator that, with your tongue, keeps food exactly on the biting surfaces of your teeth as you chew.

Your teeth are designed to be self-cleansing. Ideally, every tooth in your mouth should be touching an adjacent tooth to prevent food from becoming impacted as you chew. Your gingiva hug your teeth tightly, and the sharp points of the gingiva (called the interdental papillae) extend up into crevices between your teeth. (Remarkably, the gingiva immediately around your teeth are keratinized, making them strong enough to not be injured by the foods your teeth chew.) The very shape of your teeth--rounded and bulbous, prevents food from being caught in certain areas.

As for the pits and grooves in the tops of our molars that tend to get cavities in them? Well, if we were living in the stone-age, the rough, hard, uncooked, unprocesed foods we would be eating would wear these nooks and crannies away.

The entire set-up of your mouth is designed to prevent (as much as possible) food debris from building up anywhere.

So, in the modern world, what do you need to do for your teeth? In reality, brush twice a day, floss at least once, and keep the intake of fermentable carbohydrates between brushing/flossing to a minimum.

Answer 5

Don't brush your teeth too hard or vigorously. It'll push back your gums and expose your tooth roots.

Answer 6

brush ur teeth after every meal or when u can , and floss and see ur dentist regularly , that's all there is to it

Answer 7

Listen to Huskymom, she's a smart cookie.

Answer 8

you know what?? some people just have bad genes. Do your best: brush, floss, rinse and get regular cleaning every six months.