Oral Hygiene for a Healthy Mouth at Every Age

Caring for teeth and gums is equally important at every stage of your life.

Let’s start with effective oral hygiene instructions for adults with a few simple steps:

• Brushing. To get the best oral hygiene results from toothbrushing, use an electric toothbrush. If you’re using a manual toothbrush, hold it at a 45-degree angle to your gums. Use short, circular strokes to move the brush over each tooth. Be sure you brush your teeth at least twice a day, including the front and back sides of all your upper and lower teeth. Also, gently brush your tongue. Replace your toothbrush every three months.
• Clean between your teeth. Flossing is one method that helps maintain oral hygiene by removing bacteria from areas between the teeth that are hard to reach by brushing alone. To floss your teeth, start with an 18-inch piece of floss, and wrap most of it around the middle finger of one hand. Wrap a small amount around the middle finger of the other hand. Move the floss carefully up and down between each tooth, and make a C-shape with the floss as you reach the gum line. As you move from tooth to tooth, unwind new floss from one hand and wind the used floss onto the other hand.
• Rinsing with Mouthwash. Rinsing with a mouthwash can get to places that your toothbrush and even the deep cleaning of floss can miss. In addition, a mouthwash such as Crest Pro-Health Advanced strengthens enamel, prevents cavities, and kills bad breath bacteria. These are the bare essentials for maintaining oral hygiene, but the oral care products you choose can make a big difference in the health of your teeth and gums. Here’s just one collection of products from Crest Pro-Health that can help improve your oral health: Crest Pro-Health Advanced Toothpaste fights plaque and gingivitis; Crest Pro-Health Advanced Mouthwash strengthens enamel for a healthier mouth; and the Oral-B® Pro-Health All-In-One Toothbrush removes plaque and reduces gingivitis.