Brushing Teeth

Brushing Habits

Brush Inside

Brush Outside

Brush Top

Brush each and every tooth on the outside, inside, and top surfaces. Use a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste.

Brushing Angle For Outside Surfaces

For outside surfaces, brush at a 45 degree angle at the gum line to best reach the area between the tooth and the gums.

Brushing Angle For Inside Surfaces

For inside surfaces, brush at a 45 degree angle at the gum line to best reach the area between the tooth and the gums.

Circular Brushing

To make sure all surfaces are cleaned, establish a circular path along:

All outside surfaces of the teeth, from right to left on top and left to right on the lower one.
Then, all inside surfaces of the teeth, from right to left on the top and left to right on the lower one.
Then, all biting (top) surfaces of the teeth, from right to left on top and left to right on the lower one.

Power Toothbrush

For persons that can handle (are not stressed by) the noise and vibration, a power toothbrush is recommended.

After Brushing

Remember:

To help with bad breath, use a tongue scraper or toothbrush to scrape the tongue
After brushing, ask the person to spit the excess toothpaste into the sink or a small paper cup.
Some persons may need to spit multiple times because saliva, foam, and debris might gather and become uncomfortable.
If the person has a prescription toothpaste (high fluoride toothpaste), please follow the instructions on the prescription. DO NOT rinse after using a high fluoride toothpaste.
Ensure the mouth and face of the person receiving care is wiped dry and the person is comfortable.

For partial denture wearers, remove the denture before brushing natural teeth. The best time to clean the remaining teeth is when the partial denture is removed. Never brush teeth while the denture is in place.