Getting Your Teeth Ready for a Dental Appointment

While your oral hygiene routine may be diligent, even the best of us forgets to floss every now and then. At the same time, many people might not even consider how strong their oral hygiene is until their next dental visit peaks up on their calendar.

Whether you stick to a stringent brushing schedule or skip one or two sessions occasionally, learning to get teeth clean and ready prior to a dentist appointment ensures you’re getting the best possible checkup. To do this, here are a few techniques for a pre-dental cleaning that will surely leave your dentist feeling impressed.

Brushing Properly

Brushing regularly is important, but brushing your teeth properly provides entirely different results as well as very clean teeth and gums for the appointment. Quick once-overs won't get the job done, so schedule some extra time in to provide your teeth with the attention they deserve. According to the ADA, the proper methods for deep cleaning your teeth include the following:

1. Squeeze some toothpaste on a soft-bristled toothbrush. Avoid hard bristles, which can be abrasive and even harm the enamel on your teeth.
2. Beginning at the gumline, start the brush at an angle of 45 degrees, gently brushing your gums before moving to the teeth’s surface.
3. Focus on the front of the teeth first before also cleaning the backsides.
4. Target your teeth’s fronts by vertically brushing to remove plaque from every angle.
5. Reach back to brush every side of your back molars, ensuring you brush the back of the mouth fully.

Flossing

Once you're done brushing, flossing is the next stage, getting plaque and food particles left behind in small spaces in between teeth. If you’re really on the path to impressing your dental professional, stretch a strand of floss and wind it between your two pointer fingers in order to get a strong hold. Start with your back bottom two teeth and slip the floss gently between every space before tugging upward and removing the debris and floss. Continue toward your front teeth before switching to the top until each space in your teeth has been cleaned properly.

Mouthwash

To put the final touches on your pre-dental deep cleaning, swish some mouthwash for rinsing and disinfecting your mouth. This will remove lingering bacteria and plaque, ensuring your breath is fresh for the visit. Pour a slight amount of mouthwash into the small cup that should have come with the container and forcefully swish it around your teeth and mouth for roughly 60 seconds. Spit the mouthwash out, and you should be ready to go for your upcoming dental appointment.

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