With everyone’s concern over the COVID-19 outbreak, many of you are likely going to miss a scheduled dental cleaning. Because of this, we wanted to give you a “back to the basics” reminder of something most of us know, however, may not totally practice 100% of the time. A simple reminder of the proper way to brush your teeth!
Proper brushing takes at least two minutes — that’s right, 120 seconds! Most adults do not come close to brushing that long. To get a feel for the time involved, try using a stopwatch. To properly brush your teeth, use short, gentle strokes, paying extra attention to the gumline, hard-to-reach back teeth and areas around fillings, crowns or other restoration. Concentrate on thoroughly cleaning each section as follows:
- Clean the outer surfaces of your upper teeth, then your lower teeth
- Clean the inner surfaces of your upper teeth, then your lower teeth
- Clean the chewing surfaces
- For fresher breath, be sure to brush your tongue
- Replace your toothbrush regularly
- If you have been sick, replace your toothbrush as soon at you are on the upswing
If you are missing your regular 6-month dental cleaning appointment, go ahead and reschedule an appointment for a couple months down the road. If you do not have a regular dentist in the local Paducah area, we hope you will consider Dr. Ben Johnson and his staff at Johnson Family Dental. If you experience a dental emergency, Johnson Family Dental is open by appointment only during the COVID 19 timeframe. You can reach us by phone at (270) 554-2432 or CLICK HERE to contact us. Johnson Family Dental is located at 2913 Lone Oak Rd, Paducah, KY 42003.