Are you using the proper holistic oral hygiene techniques?

The wrong way can be damaging your gum tissue and instigates harmful bacterial overgrowth due to continually missing areas.

Improper oral hygiene techniques:

Hard straight across scrubbing motion, and hard bristle toothbrushes. This can cause gum recession and doesn’t get access to the most important area, the gum line. A good tip is to look at your toothbrush, if the bristles are splayed out, you’re brushing too hard! If you use an electric toothbrush this applies as well. Let these types of toothbrushes do the work for you. Never use scrubbing motions.

Straight up and down flossing. This doesn’t effectively get underneath the gum tissue, where bacteria are focalized and thrive.

Not tongue scraping/brushing. This facilitates a coating of bacteria. Food debris gets caught on the tongue and gives bacteria nourishment to multiply.

Not using a mouth rinse, or using an alcohol-based rinse. You’re missing an important aspect that helps keeps bacteria load down, or you’re killing beneficial bacteria along with the harmful ones.

Using fluoride toothpaste. I hope everyone knows by now that fluoride has been deemed a toxin and has shown negative effects on the body. There are safer and more effective options.

Proper Oral hygiene techniques-

Soft gentle circles, using a soft bristle toothbrush. Also called the Bass brushing technique. This effectively gets under the gum tissue, to remove plaque buildup. In the case of electric toothbrushes gently move your bristles along the gumline.

C shape technique flossing. Where you curve your floss around your tooth in a C shape and use a scraping motion to get underneath the gum tissue. This is where bacteria hide out!

Brushing/scraping tongue- Bacteria and food debris get trapped on our tongue as well. This should be done every time we clean our teeth, we clean our tongue.

A mouth rinse, or oral probiotics if recommended by your dentist. A hydrogen peroxide-based mouth rinse will keep harmful bacteria load down while encouraging healthy bacteria to thrive.

A fluoride-free toothpaste. Choose a remineralizing one with hydroxyapatite and essential minerals. Our teeth are highly made up of hydroxyapatite. A few of our favorites are Coral White, Davids, and Boka.

Along with keeping up to date with your routine dental hygiene appointments, these techniques will help maintain a healthy oral microbiome!

To your health!

Jennifer Corrigan RDA

Dr. Kayleigh A. Short DMD, formerly of Integrative Dentistry in Seattle, is your top choice for holistic dental care available to the greater Seattle area, Mukilteo, Mill Creek, Monroe, Snohomish, Duvall, Whidbey Island, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Everett, and surrounding areas. Washington State, nationwide, and worldwide we are available for telemedicine holistic dentistry consults. For the best in holistic dental and natural holistic facial aesthetic needs. We diagnose complex dental health cases, that other dentists turn away. Contact us today or schedule an appointment to discover how we can help optimize your oral health and support your wellness journey. ~Dr. Kayleigh Short and the WDC Team