Quiz Yourself! How Much Do You Know About Home Dental Care?

Everyone knows how to take of their teeth, right? Actually many people are unsure about the basic steps of good home dental care. Let’s see how well you do?

1) How often should you brush and floss?

1. Brush three times a day and floss at least once a day.
2. Brush once a day, floss only if you feel food between your teeth.
3. Brush your teeth every other day and floss once a week.

2) What is the optimum amount of time you should spend brushing your teeth?

1. 4 minutes.
2. 45 seconds.
3. 2 minutes.

3) Should you floss before or after brushing?

1. Before
2. After
3. Neither- Only floss when you remember.

4) How often should you replace your toothbrush?

1. Every week.
2. Every three months, or if you’ve been sick.
3. Once a year.

5) What should you do if your gums bleed while brushing or flossing?

1. Floss less often and use a hard-bristled toothbrush.
2. Floss more and use a soft-bristled toothbrush.
3. Nothing. It is perfectly normal to have your gums bleed a little.

6) What is a very effective treatment for bad breath?

1. Use a tongue scraper.
2. Eat something sweet.
3. Suck on a lemon.

7) Which statement is most true about proper brushing technique?

1. Brush as vigorously as you can using a hard-bristled toothbrush.
2. Use back and forth motions while brushing.
3. Use soft-bristled toothbrushes, brushing all tooth surfaces with a circular motion.

8) How often should you get your teeth professionally cleaned?

1. At least every six months, or more often if you have periodontal disease.
2. Professional cleanings are really only necessary if you have problems.
3. Once every 2 years.

9) Your hygienist seems to spend an awfully long time scraping tartar off your teeth. What is the most common reason for this condition?

1. You can’t help it; it’s genetic.
2. You’re not flossing enough.
3. You are not eating enough meat..

10) A water pic ….?

1. is a tool only a dentist is allowed to use to clean your teeth.
2. can totally replace flossing
3. is a good tool to use at home in conjunction with brushing and flossing.

OK! Let’s see how you did!

1) How often should you brush and floss?

1. Best practice is to brush three times a day, and floss at least once a day.

2) What is the optimum amount of time you should spend brushing your teeth?

1. 2 minutes. It’s longer than you think! Time yourself and be sure to brush every tooth surface.

3) Should you floss before or after brushing?

1. Floss before you brush, and be sure to floss at least once a day.

4) How often should you replace your toothbrush?

1. Every three months, or if you’ve been sick. Also, always choose soft bristled brushes. Electric toothbrushes are a terrific option.

5) What should you do if your gums bleed while brushing or flossing?

1. Floss more and use a soft-bristled toothbrush. Bleeding gums are never okay. It’s often a sign of gingivitis or worse, periodontal disease. It can also mean you are brushing too aggressively.  Along with flossing and brushing at home, make an appointment to see your dentist as you most likely need a professional cleaning as well.

6) What is a very effective treatment for bad breath?

1. Use a tongue scraper. Sweets give you bad breath! And lemons, along with other high acidity foods, can eat away at your tooth enamel.

7) Which statement is most true about proper brushing technique?

1. Use soft-bristled toothbrushes, brushing all tooth surfaces with a circular motion.

8) How often should you get your teeth professionally cleaned?

1. At least every six months, or more often if you have periodontal disease.

9) Your hygienist seems to spend an awfully long time scraping tartar off your teeth. What is a common reason for this condition?

1. You’re not flossing enough.

10) A water pic ….?

1. is a good tool to use at home in conjunction with brushing and flossing.  It’s especially helpful  for those folks who have trouble reaching parts of their mouth with floss, but it should not totally replace flossing.

Good home dental care can really make all the difference in your oral health. However, even with the best home care, everyone still needs to have their teeth professionally cleaned at least twice a year as there are some tooth surfaces under the gums that only a hygienist with special tools can reach.