Oral Hygiene Instruction

Tooth brushing for children

To remove dental plaque, brush your child’s teeth below the age of 6 at least twice a day (in the morning and just before bed). Use a soft bristled toothbrush with a small head, and children’s fluoride toothpaste, (400ppm fluoride NOT adult 1000ppm fluoride until they are > 6years of age). Toothbrushes (or brush heads on electric toothbrushes) should be replaced every three months and/or when the toothbrush bristles appear worn and shaggy. 

Manual tooth brushing technique

  • Place the head of the toothbrush at a 45 degree angle to the gum margin.
  • Gently move the toothbrush in a small circular, forward and backward, jiggling or vibrating motion over each tooth to remove plaque found both above and below the gum line.
  • Repeat this process on both the inner and outer surfaces of each tooth.
  • Clean the chewing surfaces by using a backward and forward scrubbing action.

Electric tooth brushing technique

Place the head of the brush against the tooth at the gum margin and move it in a gentle, rolling motion. 

Flossing for Teens

Floss your teeth once a day, prior to brushing. When flossing, take care not to damage your gums. Flossing can seem difficult at first, however, with practice, becomes very easy. If you are unsure which type of dental floss to use, check with your dental professional.

Flossing technique

  • Take about 40cm of floss and wrap the ends around the second finger of each hand, leaving only a small piece between the two hands.
  • With one of the fingers in the mouth, draw the floss down into the gap between two teeth using a gentle see-sawing action until it slips just slightly under the gum level.
  • Wrap the floss around one side of the tooth and use a wiping action to remove plaque and food debris.
  • Re-insert a clean section of floss between the same two teeth.
  • Wrap the floss around the other tooth and wipe the side of that tooth.
  • Repeat these steps around the mouth until the spaces between all teeth have been cleaned.
  • Interdental/interproximal brushing technique:
  • Simply slide the brush into the space and move the brush back and forth until the area is clean.