Preventive Care in Federal Way, WA

Preventive dental care is one of the most important thing you and your family can do to ensure good oral health. By practicing good oral hygiene at home and scheduling regular checkups at Federal Way Family Dental, you can help keep your smile bright and healthy for many years to come.

The Importance of Brushing and Flossing

Brushing and flossing is important to prevent decay and gum infection or gum disease. Brushing and flossing teeth mechanically removes plaque, which is a sticky transparent layer of bacteria that covers the teeth. Brushing and flossing also stimulates the gums and keeps them healthy and tight around the teeth.

The best way to maintain oral health is to brush the teeth twice a day and to floss at least once daily.

Electric or Manual: Which is right for you?

Electric toothbrushes are an advantage over a manual in many different ways. The most important difference is that electric toothbrushes remove up to ten times more plaque and bacteria with every brushing. Electric toothbrushes have timers that ensure brushing for a full two minutes and pressure indicators to prevent brushing too hard and the possibility of causing damage to the gums.

Brushing and Flossing Tips

For brushing, we recommend to place the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle into the gums and make small circular motions to gently brush the gums and teeth. Focus on brushing the outer, inner, and chewing surfaces of all teeth.

For flossing we recommend wrapping the floss in a “C” shape around the teeth and using an up and down motion between the teeth and make sure to go beneath the gumline. To ensure optimal results, we would be glad to go over demonstrations with brushing and flossing during your next visit to our Federal Way dental office.