No matter how hard we try to brush and floss our teeth, some plaques will remain. That is what the experts believe. Oral experts have found that brushing and flossing are not enough to eliminate all the plaque hiding in the corners of your teeth. You need a more effective solution to spot the plaques. 

Is Brushing and Flossing Effective Enough to Remove Plaque?

Almost everybody does two activities to keep up good oral hygiene: brushing and flossing. But are they enough? Some places cannot be reached no matter how strategically you move your brush. That is when disclosing agents enter the picture. 

What is Plaque, and How Can Disclosing Agents Help Spotting It?

We eat throughout the day, and there are hardly people who brush and rinse their teeth after every meal or drink. When they don’t, the food particles get stuck in the teeth for the bacteria to eat up later. 

Plaque is simply the tooth and enamel decay caused by the acid released by the bacteria after digesting the leftovers. This often gives rise to other dental problems like tooth infection, cavities, gingivitis, gum bleeding, etc. Worst of all is tooth loss. 

Disclosing agents come very handy when removing plaque while brushing. It comes in the form of liquid, tablet, or swab. It simply dyes the plaques inside the mouth and helps you spot the areas that require better cleaning. The steps to use disclosing agent are:

• First, brush your teeth properly as you do every day. 
• Start chewing the tablet.
• Chew it until dissolved. 
• Now stand in front of the mirror and see which areas require brushing.
• Start brushing your teeth again.
• Continue brushing unless you have cleaned off at least 95% of dye.
• Finally, clean your mouth with water and rinse at last with mouthwash.

How to Brush and Floss More Effectively? 

If you want to brush your teeth more effectively, then start with keeping your brush at a 45-angle degree to the gums. Always make short strokes in backward and forward directions. Brush for at least 2 minutes twice a day.

After you are done brushing, start flossing. Take around 24 inches of floss and wind it around your middle fingers. 2 inches of floss is enough for the teeth. You can floss more effectively if you hold your floss with index fingers and thumbs. Avoid gliding your floss into your gum. Instead, glide it gently against your tooth until you have covered your whole mouth.

Jeanne V. Devi, DDS offers comprehensive dental care solutions including expert preventive procedures like plaque removal by disclosing agents. Call us at (626) 795-2544 or visit our website for more info and scheduling appointments. We are located at 595 E Colorado Blvd Suite 603, Pasadena, CA 91101.