Although it’s a bit of an odd topic for me to post about, I’ve received so many requests over the years to share my dental hygiene routine I decided it was about time I did! I actually have a quite thorough routine as I am particularly protective of my teeth and vigilant about my oral health. I’ve always been a keen brusher and flosser, but sadly my teeth need extra TLC as I have issues with soft enamel which makes the protective coating of my teeth far less effective naturally. I was a bit of an overly aggressive brusher as a child and this combined with my soft enamel led to some pretty severe gum receding. Over the past decade I have honed my routine to properly address these specific issues based on advice from my dentist. In addition to this, I have had bonding work done (which basically creates fake enamel) at my gum line on most of my molars to protect that sensitive area and I see my dentist every three to four months to keep a close eye on my gum line. I am happy to report that my efforts have really paid off and I have been able to maintain a healthy set of chompers with two thumbs up from my dentist on each visit.
In this post I break down my dental hygiene routine into night and day. This is what I do to maintain my oral health based on the advice of my dentist. You should always talk to your dentist before changing up your routine to make sure you are doing what is best to suit your needs.
Night Routine
I dedicate more time to my dental routine at night for a thorough cleaning process. I know this may seem like an awful lot of steps, but it really only take about five minutes total. To me, that is time well spent to keep my mouth healthy!
✻ Oral-B Glide Pro-Health Deep Clean Dental Floss – I start off by flossing. I prefer this floss because it is fine enough to fit between my teeth which sit very close together without hurting my gums. I always rinse with water after flossing.
✻ DenTek Easy Brush Interdental Cleaners Extra-Tight Spaces – I follow up regular flossing with these little brushes which I use just on my top and lower front five or six teeth as I have a tendency to form plaque there regardless of how much flossing I do. These little brushes keep plaque at bay longer between dentist visits.
✻ Plax – Next, I swish with this plaque loosening rinse to further aid in my battle against plaque build-up.
✻ Oral-B Professional Care SmartSeries 4000 Rechargeable Toothbrush – I love my electric toothbrush! I use mine with sensitive brush heads for a gentle yet effective cleaning. I like how it times the two minute recommended cleaning time for you with 30-second allotments per quadrant of your mouth.
✻ Nature’s Gate Natural Toothpaste – I prefer using this fluoride free toothpaste. While this is the only part of my routine that is not recommended by my dentist, it definitely gets the job done as I receive great reports from each dentist visit. I always rinse and gargle with water after brushing.
✻ Waterpik Water Flosser – The last step of my nighttime routine is to use my Waterpik to flush out any remaining particles stuck in my teeth. You’d be surprised at what still remains even after doing all of the previous steps!
✻ Listerine Total Care Zero – I like to dilute about three parts water with one part of this alcohol free mouth rinse in my Waterpik. The combination leaves my mouth feeling clean and fresh!
Morning Routine
My morning routine is more condensed with only three steps:
✻ I floss with Glide and then rinse with water.
✻ I brush my teeth but this time for only one minute instead of two.
✻ I follow up with a quick swish of Listerine Whitening Vibrant mouthwash. This is the only whitening product I use on my teeth as they are quite sensitive. I find that using this daily keeps my smile looking white enough to meet my standards.
As you can see, I follow a fairly thorough routine to keep my teeth in tip top shape. To me, it is time well spent and I can definitely see results. The way I see it, you only get one set of teeth so it’s important to take care of them! 😀
If you’d like to hear more about my routine and my thoughts on each product used, check out my coordinating video:
I’d love to hear about your dental hygiene routine if you’d care to share!
* Post contains affiliate links. This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are genuinely my own. *
