How to Keep Your Teeth Clean

You may be wondering about the most effective ways to clean your teeth. Should you use a manual or electric toothbrush? Soft or firm bristles?

Achieving healthy teeth takes a lifetime of care. Even if you have good and healthy teeth, and get compliments about having nice teeth, it’s crucial to take the right steps to take care of them to prevent teeth and gums problems, and have a shiny and bright smile.

It involves getting the right oral care and being mindful of your daily habits. Dental hygiene is necessary to maintain healthy teeth and gums. Without caring and maintaining proper hygiene and dental care, comes various complications that lead to pain, speech problems, and decreased confidence.

Benefits of Regular Teeth Cleaning

Regular professional teeth cleaning is crucial not just for a sparkling smile but for your overall health. Here’s why you shouldn’t skip your next appointment:

Prevents Cavities and Gum Disease

Over time, plaque naturally builds up on teeth. If not removed, it hardens into tartar, leading to cavities and periodontal disease. Routine cleanings eliminate this buildup, keeping your teeth and gums healthy.

Freshens Breath and Enhances Smile Appearance
Persistent bad breath (halitosis) often stems from poor oral hygiene. A dental cleaning removes odor-causing bacteria, leaving your breath fresher and your smile noticeably brighter. Polishing also removes surface stains caused by coffee, tea, and smoking.

How Often Should You Get Your Teeth Cleaned?

A common question is: how often should you get your teeth cleaned?

General Recommendation: Every 6 months for most people.

Special Cases: If you smoke, have gum disease, diabetes, or a history of cavities, your dentist may recommend cleanings every 3–4 months.
Frequent cleanings lower your risk of more serious dental issues and save you money in the long term.

Cost of Teeth Cleaning: What to Expect

When searching for “teeth cleaning near me cost,” you’ll notice it varies:

Without Insurance: Expect to pay between $75 and $200 depending on your location and the dental office.

With Insurance: Many dental plans fully cover preventive cleanings twice a year.

Additional Costs: If you need deep cleaning (scaling and root planing), it can cost more, ranging from $300 to $900.

9 Best Ways to Keep Your Teeth Clean And Healthy

If you are wondering how to have healthy teeth and gums, then you must remember to use these teeth care tips at home to have shiny and healthy teeth for a brighter smile.

Here are some of the best ways how to keep your teeth clean and healthy –

1.  Brush Your Teeth Regularly

• Your everyday hygiene habits are crucial to your overall dental health, you must brush your teeth for about 2 minutes before going to bed every day.
• Your dentist may give you more advice based on your dental health and needs on how many times you should brush.
• This is the best way to keep your teeth clean, and the way you brush is equally important, in fact, poorly brushing your teeth is almost similar to not brushing at all.
• Take your time, moving the toothbrush gently on your teeth in circular motions to remove plaque because it can harden, leading to calculus buildup and gingivitis (early gum disease).
• Make sure to clean all the surfaces and the chewing surfaces of your teeth, which should take about 2 minutes.

2.  Choose the Best Toothpaste

• There are different brushes in the market, ranging from soft to hard to electric. The best kind is the softer ones, as our teeth do not require hard brushing.
• For most adults, a toothbrush with a small head, and round bristles is good.
• If you’re using an electric brush with an oscillating or rotating head, it may work better than a manual toothbrush.
• Making sure to thoroughly brush your teeth at least two times a day is more important than the type of brush you choose to brush with. If in doubt, ask your dentist.

3.  Floss Regularly While Brushing

Flossing isn’t done just for dislodging food wedged between your teeth.

Regular flossing also reduces gum disease and prevents bad breath by removing plaque.

It’s best to floss before brushing your teeth.

• Take 30 cm to 45 cm of floss or dental tape and take it so you have 3cm or 4cm of floss left between your hands.
• Slip it between the teeth and into the areas between your teeth and gums, as far as it will go well.
• Floss your teeth with 8 to 10 strokes, up and down in a circular motion between each tooth, to remove food and plaque.

4.  Clean Your Tongue

• Are you confused about where the bad breath comes from?
• It’s probably your unclean tongue, and it doesn’t matter how talkative you are, you must clean your teeth regularly to have a clean and fresh breath.
• Plaque occurs not only on the teeth and crevices but also on the tongue.
• Over time, it can cause a major foul breath if you do not brush correctly.

5.  Use mouthwash To Maintain Dental Hygiene

Advertisements make mouthwash seem like it is necessary for oral health, but many people skip it because they don’t know how it works.

Using a mouthwash containing fluoride can help to prevent tooth decay, but avoid using mouthwash (with fluoride) immediately after brushing your teeth otherwise it’ll wash the concentrated fluoride present in the toothpaste that is left on your teeth.

Choose a different time to use mouthwash probably after lunch.

Don’t eat or drink anything for 30 minutes after using a fluoride mouthwash.

6.  Watch What You Eat To Maintain Your Oral Hygiene

Your diet and the type of intake you take impact your oral hygiene and help you keep your teeth healthy.

Make sure to have a balanced diet that contains plenty of vegetables fruits, and proteins, but limit your food intake that are rich in fat and sugar.

7.  Watch What You Drink Too

Sugar converts into acid in the mouth later, which can erode the enamel of teeth. These acids are what lead to cavities. Sugary drinks can harm your teeth. Beverages that are rich in sugar can cause tooth decay.

Water is considered to be the best drink for your overall health including oral health. Doctors also recommend drinking water after every meal. This helps wash out some of the negative effects caused by sticky and acidic foods and drinks in between brushes.

So try to avoid the overly processed stuff, stop cutting food into tiny pieces, and get those jaws working!”

8.  Stay Away From Cigarettes And Coloured Foods

Smoking also affects your dental hygiene leading to gum disease and bacteria on the teeth getting under the gum which leads to increased levels of plaque if the germs get to stay on the teeth for longer.

Just like smoking, colored foods also impact the color of your teeth, making them look yellowish and feel unhealthy and unrefreshed.

9.  See Your Dentist At Least Twice A Year

Even the most dutiful flossers and brushes consult a doctor for oral care. You should see your dentist for cleaning and checkups from time to time, and at least twice a year.

Not only will a dentist remove calculus and look for cavities, but they will also spot the potential cause of other upcoming issues, and offer treatment solutions to prevent and stop any dental problems.

Key Takeaways

Caring for your teeth and doing oral care is part of daily life, but people neglect or forget about their oral health due to busy schedules and unhealthy eating habits.

But, now that you are aware of these issues and know the best way to keep your teeth clean and healthy, and how to have healthy teeth and gums, it’s time to see a dentist and start caring for your oral and dental health before it’s too late.

FAQs

1. How long does a teeth cleaning take?

A typical professional teeth cleaning session lasts between 30 to 60 minutes, depending on plaque buildup and your overall oral health.

2. Is teeth cleaning painful?

Teeth cleaning is usually painless. Some people may experience mild sensitivity or discomfort during scaling if there’s heavy tartar buildup or gum inflammation, but numbing options are available if needed.

3. What should you not do after a teeth cleaning?

After a cleaning, avoid consuming staining foods or drinks like coffee, tea, wine, and berries for at least a few hours. Also, be gentle with flossing if your gums feel sensitive.

4. Can teeth cleaning remove stains?

Yes, professional cleanings can effectively remove many surface stains caused by coffee, tea, wine, and tobacco use, making your smile look noticeably brighter.

5. What happens if you don’t get your teeth cleaned?

Skipping regular cleanings can lead to plaque hardening into tartar, causing cavities, gum disease, bad breath, and even tooth loss over time. Plus, untreated oral infections can affect overall health, including heart disease risks.