To Dr. Sam, what is the best steps for good oral hygiene?

Answer 1

Go here and click on the link about brushing, flossing, etc:

http://www.ada.org/public/games/animation/interface.asp

Also, add the use of a device to hold a toothpick to get under your gums. MOST adults have at least some degree of gum recession or pocket formation. I don't mean you are all walking around with flapping gums or anything, but most have pockets that would measure at least 3 mm deep. This is still considered healthy and normal by most standards. It is often a GOAL of periodontal treatment to get patients to the point where they have 3 mm pocket depths or less. The thing is, almost ALL of your teeth have concavities on the surface of the root once you get down to that level. Dental floss can only stretch from Point A to Point B and you simply can not force it to clean in any depression that exists between those two points. Go to this site and scroll down to the three "Large Tooth Models." http://www.anatomy-resources.com/human-anatomy/sh292.htm God bless these people for accurately depicting this concavity on all three types of teeth. If you look carefully just beyond the point where the enamel ends, you will see that the root surfaces have slight dips in them - even on the incisor! This is the place where dental floss just can't clean.

Now go see what a Perio-Aid looks like at this site: http://www.perio-aid.net/page2.html You will not find this in stores, but you may find something similar. Or, you can ask your dentist if he/she has Perio-Aids in the office. The web site does not really tell you how to use the Perio-Aid properly, but I can try. Load the thing as shown in illustration #2. Take the toothpick tip under your gum until you feel that you have bottomed out. Do not use any excessive force. You just want to get to the place where the gum attaches to the tooth. It SHOULD feel the same as it does where your skin joins your fingernail at the tip of your fingers. The exact same chemistry holds gums to teeth as holds skin to fingernails. Once you are touching bottom, just proceed around your tooth as if you are cleaning your fingernails, maintaining contact with the bottom of the pocket as well as the side of the tooth as you go. You should start all the way in the back of your mouth on the back of the back tooth and scallop around each tooth, tooth-by-tooth as you move towards the front of your mouth on the cheek sides of your teeth. Continue on around the arch. Once you get all the way to the other side, switch over so that you can clean the same teeth AGAIN, but by gaining access from the roof of your mouth. The toothpick can only go about half-way through the teeth and you need to clean them from both cheek side and palate side. After you are done with the uppers, of course, you will repeat the whole procedure with the lowers.

This will take a few minutes to do as you are learning, but eventually, it will only take about 2 minutes. When you first start to do this, it will most likely bleed. DON'T WORRY ABOUT THIS for the first 3-to-5 days. After the 5th-to-7th day, you should have virtually zero bleeding. If you still have bleeding, it is time to go ask your dentist what else needs to be done.

Answer 2

Well im not dr sam..lol ...but i am a dental assistant. You need to go to ur dentist every six months for a check up and cleaning. I usually brush, floss and use mouth wash in the morning..Then brush after lunch..Then brush, floss and use mouth wash during the night time...Follow these steps and you will have a healthy mouth! Flossing is really important because it helps prevent cavities in between teeth. Good luck!