Before going to sleep, there are a number of steps that must be strictly adhered to in order to ensure their health.
Patients who come to the dentist’s office on a regular basis usually take good care of their teeth and are interested in optimizing hygiene protocols constantly.
Brushing the teeth helps prevent the development of bacterial plaque, represented by colonies adhering to hard surfaces, but also prevents the development of dental caries.
There are three important steps that patients should follow to ensure proper night-time hygiene: brushing, flossing and mouth washing.
The order is not necessarily important if food debris and plaque are removed at the end of these three steps.
However, most people prefer to start with brushing their teeth, then floss or rinse with mouthwash for the interdental surfaces and finally rinse with mouthwash.
Tooth brushing – twice a day at least.
Evening brushing should be carried out after the last meal before going to bed.
Brush the teeth at a 45-degree angle using a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste for the age group and depending on the patient’s needs.
The correct method involves brushing the outer surface of the teeth first, then the inner surface and then the occlusal surfaces, those used directly for chewing.
The movements made during brushing should start from the gums and slide gently towards the tooth.
Patients who are not at risk of tooth decay can brush their teeth before bedtime.
But for those at high risk of tooth decay, patients should brush after their evening meal and also before bedtime, thus limiting the time that bacteria can act on tooth surfaces.
The second step to maintain healthy teeth is flossing.
In this way cleaning of the interdental surfaces can be achieved. Simple tooth brushing cannot reach all surfaces, so flossing is a real help when it comes to completing the hygiene.
There are several types of floss, satin, cotton, thin, thick, waxed or plain, so each patient can find the type of floss that suits them.
It is important that this step is done with care, so as not to cause gums distress, especially when flossing has to be done in tight interdental spaces and the operation requires some degree of force.
The third step is to rinse the oral cavity with mouthwash. In this way, caries is prevented by delaying bacterial colonization of tooth surfaces.
In order to use mouthwash correctly, the patient should always follow the instructions on the packaging as each water has a different concentration of fluoride and may or may not contain alcohol.
By following these three steps, regardless of the order of application, the oral cavity is protected against gingivitis and caries-causing bacteria.
