Toothbrushing

A survey of new patients attending our practice showed that many people felt that they had never been shown how to brush their teeth properly as they had grown through all the stages from childhood, through the "gappy" smile stage and into adulthood.

Our response to this has been to coach toothbrushing in much the same way as you would a sport or a musical instrument. When a dentist or hygienist observes a patient toothbrushing they can spot flaws in technique in much the same way as a violin teacher or golf professional uses their observations to correct faulty technique.

Hand or Electric

Electric toothbrushes have gained wide acceptance as the varied movements of the oscillating head are now quite clever at dislodging plaque and reaching the difficult parts of the teeth and gums. We recommend the Braun Oral B or the Philips Sonicare if you need something with a bit more power. Manual toothbrushing still has its place providing it is backed up with a good thorough technique and no tendency to over brush which may damage the teeth and gums. Our long standing favourite manual brush is the Sensodyne Search 3.5 which has good quality bristles and a small compact head.