158 Second Street
Los Altos, CA 94042
(650) 948-0786
Office Hours
Mon. - Thurs. 8am - 5pm
Se Habla Español
Oral Hygiene Tips
Our experienced dentists and dental hygienists have formulated a protocol to keep
your teeth and gums healthy throughout your lifespan. You may vary your timing.Morning
Gently brush teeth and gums at a 45 degree angle for 2 minutes. (You may use a manual brush or electric)
Midday (after lunch)
Lightly brush teeth. Use toothpick, proxabrush or Rubbertip gumline if recommended.
Evening
It is important to give yourself a thorough dental cleaning before bedtime. Since saliva naturally helps clean your teeth and neutralizes acid during the day, your salivary flow is minimal during sleep and bacteria has a chance to multiply and colonize in between and around your teeth.
Plaque may also be found on the tongue and daily removal with gentle tongue scrapers will help reduce overall plaque and bad breath too!!
Your oral hygiene routine will help maintain healthy gums and teeth. It may take 5-15 minutes in the evening so make sure you’re not too tired--try flossing after dinner so that you have less to do at bedtime.
- Floss first- wrap floss tight like a “C” lifting plaque up & out of your pockets 3-6 times each tooth surface.
- Rubbertip- trace under the gum & press tissue spaces in between teeth.
- Proxabrush- 3x cheek & tongue side or toothpick if recommended
- Clean your tongue (optional)
- Brush teeth for 2 minutes with manual or electric toothbrush. Heavier plaque buildup may require a dry brush method for the first 2 minutes and then brush again with toothpaste for another 2 minutes. You may want to rinse with a fluoride rinse or treatment such as Control RX, Listermint or Act for 1 minute. Refrain from eating or drinking for 30 minutes. The fluoride treatment will help prevent sensitivity and future cavities.
- After brushing, you may also want to check to see if you may have left some of the sticky plaque behind. Try chewing disclosing tablets that may reveal any residual plaque. The darker the red color means that the plaque is older and dense. You may also want to trace your rubbertip along the gumline starting on the cheek side of the tooth and continue on the tongue side. Look for sticky plaque and you’ll have a better idea where your strengths and weaknesses are when you brush.