Chicago Dental Home Care - Dentists in Chicago

Although as your Chicago Family Dentist, Dr. Bagai will work to ensure you have a beautiful healthy smile to last a lifetime, an essential step to ensuring your smile is your home dental practice. Your personal home dental care begins with eating balanced meals, reducing the amount of processed sugar in your diet and utilizing various teeth hygiene techniques to protect your mouth from plaque, decay, and bacteria.

Brush your teeth – the first step to dental hygiene is regular brushing (at least twice a day) utilizing an ADA approved brush and toothpaste. Electric toothbrushes are recommended as a superior way of getting rid of plaque in your gums and between your teeth.

Steps to healthy brushing:

Using a small circular motion, brush the base of your teeth so that you angle towards the gum line.
Each tooth must be brushed on all surfaces, including brushing behind your front teeth and on either side of your back molars.
Brushing your tongue gets rid of bacteria and promotes fresh breath.

Floss your teeth - Daily flossing is your best at home defense against gum disease. By cleaning between the teeth and under the gum line, flossing prevents plaque build up, reduces bacteria, and prevents damage to teeth, gums, and bone.

Steps to healthy flossing:

Take a length of floss in your hands, wrapping it around your fingers with a couple of inches between each finger.
Gently guide the floss between each tooth, sliding the floss up around each tooth and under the gum line.
Gently remove the floss, adjust the floss so that you have an unused portion between your fingers and move to the next spot until you have leaned between all your teeth as well as behind your back molars.

Rinse your mouth – After eating, it is a good idea to rinse your mouth with water if you are not able to brush your teeth.

Consult with your dentist or hygienist if you are utilizing an over the counter dental care product to determine whether it is the best option for your home dental practice. Other dental aids that may be recommended by your dentist or hygienist as part of your home dental practice include rubber tip stimulators, tongue cleaners, irrigation devices, fluoride, medicated rinses, and more.