Demos and Videos

Brushing Demos and Tips

Are you using the right technique when taking care of your teeth? Here are a few dental hygiene pointers to keep in mind when going through your daily brushing routine:

Tips for Brushing

• Brush for at least two minutes to thoroughly clean all tooth surfaces.
• Brush your tongue using a back-to-front sweeping method to remove food particles and freshen your mouth.
• Remember to gently brush the roof of your mouth.

Choosing a Toothpaste

Your toothpaste's taste can make brushing a more enjoyable experience, leading to more thorough brushing, better dental hygiene and reduced risk for gum disease. It also is important to choose toothpaste that meets your dental-health needs. Crest Cavity Protection with clinically proven Flouristat® prevents cavities and is gentle on enamel. Try our interactive Dental Plan to help find the toothpaste specific to your dental-health needs.

The Right Toothbrush

There are so many to choose from! Children need to use a child-size toothbrush specific to the size and shape of their mouths and hands. Soft bristles with rounded ends provide gentle cleaning of teeth and delicate gum tissue. Oral-B Stages® offers a line of toothbrushes specially designed to meet kids' oral-health needs at every stage of development.

Replacing Your Toothbrush

Most dentists recommend replacing your toothbrush every three to four months, or sooner if bristles become worn.

Flossing Demos and Tips

So why do you need to floss? Flossing removes plaque and food particles from between teeth to reduce tooth decay.

The Lowdown on Plaque and Tooth Decay

Plaque is a clear, sticky film formed by bacteria in your mouth. If it is not cleaned away, it can lead to tooth decay or irritate your gums, potentially leading to gingivitis, an early form of gum disease. Brushing helps remove plaque from the outer surfaces of teeth, but using floss is critical to remove plaque from between your teeth where toothbrushes can't reach.

Fun Floss Facts

• Modern dental floss was invented in the early 1800s by Levi Parmly, a New Orleans dentist.
• Brushing your teeth without flossing is like washing only 70 percent of your body.
• In 2000, kids at a camp in Wisconsin set a world record for the most people to floss their teeth at the same time. Three hundred people used one piece of Crest Glide® Floss that was 1,500 feet long.
• Enough floss is sold in the U.S. each year to stretch from Earth to the moon and back ... four times!

People have reported many alternative uses for dental floss, including stringing beads, cutting cheesecake, tying a stuffed turkey before cooking and as an indispensable part of a camping emergency kit.

Many dentists say that you don't have to floss all your teeth, just the ones you want to keep! Remember, it takes only a few minutes to floss and help fight plaque.