Three-Step Method

Every person should use the three-step method. Teaching your kids when they are very young will give them the knowledge they need to have healthy and happy oral health. Your mouth is a bacteria paradise. It is the perfect environment for bacteria to grow and thrive. It is the perfect temperature, it is moist, and it receives food regularly. There are plenty of good bacteria in your mouth that help support good healthy standards. There are some though, which are bent on destruction, and it is up to you to keep them from doing so. Using the three-step method is the best way to keep your mouth clean, and give those bad bacteria a non-habitable environment to live in. 

 

Brushing

 

This step is number one on the list. Brushing will knock off all the food particles, bacteria, and other particles that are on your teeth. This is important, because the other steps alone will not properly clean your teeth. You also do not need a hard brush to get your teeth clean. Using a softer brush effectively will be much better for your teeth. Brush all your teeth, your entire gum line, and your tongue, as far back as you can without gagging of course. 

 

Flossing

 

This is the step most people skip. You can properly floss your teeth in as little as thirty seconds. Wrap the floss around one finger in both hands, and bring the floss up and down, in between the teeth, and it will knock loose the bacteria and particles that brushing did not get. 

 

Mouth Wash

 

By this step, you have effectively taken all the bad stuff off your teeth. You now need to get it all out of your mouth. Rinsing with water is fine, but using a good mouthwash with alcohol in it is even better. Swishing mouthwash for thirty seconds will kill all the rest of the bad bacteria in your mouth and will knock loose particles you didn’t get with the first two steps. Do not swallow mouthwash. Rinse your mouth thoroughly, and spit the mouthwash into the sink. You may then rinse the rest out with water. 

 

Using these three steps will ensure a healthy, clean mouth. Be sure to repeat the process at least twice a day. Three times a day is even better, once after every major meal. If you have any questions, or would like to schedule an appointment with your family dentist in Indianapolis, please call our office at (317) 897-5093.