Oral hygiene routine

Overview

This is a guide to my oral hygiene routine for those who might want to start using an electric toothbrush or interdental picks.

Tools or equipment

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• Oral-B iO Series 5 Electric Toothbrush
• Standard toothpaste
  • Anything with fluoride
• Oral-B Essential Floss
  • This specific one isn’t important, but I don’t like the ribbon style like Glide
• TePe EasyPick™ Size XS/S (Blue)
• TePe EasyPick™ Size M/L (Orange)
• MasterMedi Tongue Scraper
• Pronamel alcohol-free fluoride mouthwash
  • This specific brand isn’t important, but alcohol-free and fluoridated are important

Routine

Morning

• Step 1: Brush with the electric toothbrush at a 45° angle downward against the gumline. Hold there for four seconds and repeat on each tooth. After finishing a row, swipe across all of the flat front surfaces. Repeat for the other side and then the upper row of teeth
• Step 2: Use the tongue scraper to scrap as far back as you can comfortably reach and pull forward to scrap away bacteria and dead skin cells. Scrap the sides of the tongue as well
• Step 3: Rinse with water to get out the loose bacteria and remaining toothpaste.
• Step 4: Occasionally rinse with mouthwash, if needed. If I’m going to meet someone right after, I use 1 part water and 1 part mouthwash so it’s not overpowering

Evening

• Step 1: Floss between all teeth and the outer edges of the last molars. Try to scrap the flat surfaces as well
• Step 2: Use the interdental picks to go between all of the teeth with the appropriately sized pick. This pushes out plaque and food debris that the floss couldn’t reach or left behind. It also stimulates the gum tissue
• Step 3: Brush with the electric toothbrush at a 45° angle downward against the gumline. Hold there for four seconds and repeat on each tooth. After finishing a row, swipe across all of the flat front surfaces. Repeat for the other side and then the upper row of teeth
• Step 4: Use the tongue scraper to scrap as far back as you can comfortably reach and pull forward to scrap away bacteria and dead skin cells. Scrap the sides of the tongue as well
• Step 5: Rinse with water to get out the loose bacteria and remaining toothpaste
• Step 6: Occasionally rinse with mouthwash, if needed. If I’m going to meet someone right after, I use 1 part water and 1 part mouthwash so it’s not overpowering

Note: I’ve seen in several places to leave this slurry as it protects the teeth with the fluoride, but this leaves a white film on my teeth the next day due to sloughing off cells. So I don’t do it anymore