Hello Yuma! Your overall oral health depends not only on healthy teeth but also healthy gums. Proper oral hygiene helps keep both your teeth and gums in good shape.
When brushing, hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle with the bristle tips aimed at the line where the tooth and gum meet. The bristles of a soft toothbrush can clean the food particles in the pockets in front and in back of the tooth, but you need floss to clean between the teeth. Be sure to get the floss down into the pocket between the gum and teeth. Scrape food particles up and out of the pocket.
Back to toothbrushing: if the toothbrush is not held at the correct angle, the bristles can’t get in the pockets to clean out the bacteria before it turns into enamel-damaging plaque. If plaque accumulates in the gumline pockets, the gums can start receding.
Eventually, the pockets will become too deep for your toothbrush bristles to reach. Unfortunately, the tooth structure below the gumline is more susceptible to decay than the enamel above the gumline.
There is more than one way to damage your teeth—even if the visible parts of your teeth are cavity-free, gum disease can cause problems with the parts you can’t see.
We work with our patients of all ages to establish essential oral hygiene habits.
If you haven’t had a check-up in a while, or are experiencing gum soreness or recession, call The Yuma Dentist today at 928-783-0804 to schedule a thorough tooth and gum examination.
During your exam, dentist Mann will measure the depth of the pockets around each tooth. If you already have gum disease, we will help you restore gum health.
At The Yuma Dentist in Yuma, we provide comprehensive general and cosmetic dental services including cosmetic dentistry and dental implants. If your teeth are dull or stained, ask us about teeth bleaching.
Contact The Yuma Dentist:
928-783-0804
Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):
1630 S Pacific Ave Ste 104
Yuma, AZ
85365
