Professional brushing education
Are you absolutely sure you are looking after your teeth properly?
Common questions about learning to brush your teeth
I have good teeth, why should I learn to brush?
We’re not trying to convince you that you need to learn to brush your teeth! But as dentists, we find that very few people in our practice actually brush their teeth properly and thoroughly. Of course, the degree of decay depends on the position of the teeth, for example, if someone’s teeth are crowded, they will decay more easily because they are harder to clean. It is often the case that a patient with a beautiful, healthy-looking set of teeth, who presents for a check-up with no complaints, is found to have incipient or advanced decay between the molars. Such decay could be prevented if the person is aware of how effectively they brush their teeth and that a toothbrush is not enough, a toothbrush is also needed. Even after brushing with an electric toothbrush, food residues remain in the interdental spaces! However, it is a good idea to consult a professional to choose a toothbrush that is effective enough. So learning to brush your teeth is not compulsory, but recommended. With a small investment you can save huge amounts of money, pain and not least keep your teeth healthy and healthy!
I use an electric toothbrush. Can I still benefit from the education?
Definitely YES! An electric toothbrush cleans a little differently than a traditional toothbrush. Even though modern electric toothbrushes now have pressure sensors, you still gain useful knowledge about your own brushing technique when you check where you have brushed thoroughly and incompletely after staining and brushing. On the other hand, electric toothbrushes cannot clean the surfaces between teeth! For these surfaces, a toothbrush or interdental toothbrush is required! Exactly which one and how thick is completely individual. Your dental hygienist will be able to help you decide which brand and thickness of toothbrush you need for thorough brushing. Thirdly, although the dental hygienist is not a dentist, he or she will also check your teeth during the education process. If she notices anything suspicious or abnormal, she will refer you to a dentist, so you are more likely to prevent dental disease. An electric toothbrush is a very good, thorough and useful tool, but he doesn’t know everything! It’s good to talk through your brushing habits with a professional and adjust them if necessary!
What is a tooth gap brush?
A tooth gap brush is like a tiny little bottle brush. It is also used to clean plaque from the interdental space. After brushing with both a traditional and an electric toothbrush, plaque remains in the interdental spaces! If you try brushing your teeth thoroughly and then sucking away a plaque staining tablet, you’ll be surprised how many places your teeth still have stains. Especially in the interdental area, which is the most dangerous area for tooth decay.
The interdental spaces come in different sizes. Even within a single mouth, there are narrower and wider interdental spaces, depending on the location of the patient’s teeth and any restorations. The spacing is different for cleaning after orthodontic treatment, and different if there are crowns or bridges in the dentition, for example. The dental hygienist can easily select the right size of cleaning brush for you with a measuring tool and can also show you the right application.
Why is it recommended to teach older people to brush their teeth?
In older age, even if you have brushed your teeth well, the gums will recede naturally. Accordingly, as the gum, no longer completely covers the root surface, a bulge develops under the largest convexity of the teeth. As the gingiva recedes, the cervical area is also concave, where plaque and plaque also adhere more easily. In older people, it is therefore particularly important to be aware of surfaces that are difficult to clean and to learn the techniques for cleaning these surfaces.
Bleeding gums are mainly caused by gingivitis. And gingivitis is most often caused by plaque that remains in the gums. The area most at risk is the narrow gap between the teeth, where plaque can easily get trapped but is not easily removed by normal brushing. If you also have bleeding gums AND you want to learn how to brush your teeth, we recommend today’s most modern concept, Guided Biofilm Therapy. You can read more about the treatment in the link above, but the important thing is that during the one hour service, not only will you receive gum treatment, but also brushing advice and education. This way, you kill two birds with one stone! Guided Biofilm Therapy aims to build a lifelong relationship with your teeth. The ultrasonic technology used allows for the gentlest plaque removal available today. Especially recommended for sensitive patients!
Of course! In fact, the basics of good dental care can and should be taught to children in particular. Thank goodness for children who have conscious and caring parents who leave it to a professional to build their child’s dental hygiene routine, instead of their own good or bad brushing habits! It means a lot to a child just to know that his parents care so much about him and his teeth!
It is a great experience for a child to scrub the teeth after a plaque staining and to see which side and which tooth surface needs to be rubbed more thoroughly. Children are visual and remember what they see and experience. Many adults, and therefore most children, are not aware that it is not enough to brush with a toothbrush. It is worth taking a little time to make children aware that there are other oral care products besides toothbrushes and that they should be used throughout their lives. That a toothbrush and toothpaste are not enough for thorough brushing.
At different ages, different relationships can be built up between children and their own teeth. Teaching children to brush their teeth consciously should start at around the age of 8.
For younger children, it is more important to inform parents and to always celebrate the arrival of each remaining tooth so that no brushing is missed, and until the age of 8-12 years, it is the parent who brushes the child’s teeth morning and evening, not the child. As a transitional measure, it is recommended that the parent brushes the teeth in the evening and the child in the morning, not alone but with the parent present.
Without treatment, the brushing lesson itself takes about 30 minutes. Then, after a few weeks, there is another session where, based on what has been learned, the patient reassesses the changed technique and its results with the dental hygienist. At this time any remaining errors can be corrected.
The complete Dental Hygiene Training Package therefore consists of two sessions, the first session lasting 30 minutes and the second session 15 minutes.
YES! Not only your toothbrush, but also your other tooth cleaning tools. The first part of the training is to map out your current brushing routine. The dental hygienist stains your teeth and you brush – first as you normally do. The remaining stain will also show you where you should have brushed more thoroughly or differently. Then comes the dental hygiene consultation, where you will discuss what to use differently and how to use it differently from now on, for thorough and effective brushing!
Teeth brushing education: investing in a healthy smile
A toothbrush is not enough!
We eat differently!
Implant? Mandatory!
Orthodontics? Now!
If it’s bleeding…
Don’t fool yourself!
We teach you to brush your teeth really well! A small investment with a huge return!
A good investment!
Specially tailored for you!
Tracking!
Teaching how to brush your teeth is a multi-step process.
Step 1: We observe how you brush your teeth, what technique you use and what tools you use other than a toothbrush.
Step 2: We use a staining agent to stain the biofilm on your teeth, revealing surfaces that need more attention.
Step 3: Removing biofilm that is harmful to the teeth, using Guided Biofim Therapy. With this new, state-of-the-art technology, you can now enjoy painless biofilm removal and plaque removal in comfort.
Step 4: Trial and discussion of personalised brushing techniques and the correct use of oral care tools.