Calvin Clarke, D.D.S.

We care about your dental care so much that this page was designed specifically for you.  In order to maintain good dental hygiene it is in the best interest of the patient to perform the following duties each day to ensure better dental health.  Keep in mind that while following the recommended steps below,  these steps does NOT take the place of seeing a dentist regularly. Start today! Contact us now to schedule an appointment.

Brushing

Brushing your teeth comes naturally to many people, but many people don’t really take the time to brush properly. It is recommended that you brush your teeth at least three times a day. It should take you two minutes each time you brush. This means spending thirty seconds in each quadrant of your mouth. This can be really hard to do sometimes, especially for young children. Have your young kids sing the happy birthday song for each quadrant of their mouths and then their done!.

There are many different types of tooth brushes on the market today. Some that even play a song like mentioned earlier. Some vibrate and rotate and some even pulse every thirty seconds to remind you to switch quadrants of the mouth. Many people will buy every new toothbrush on the market in an attempt to keep their teeth cleaner. The trouble is keeping the teeth cleaner is more often a user issue rather than a tooth brush issue.  It doesn’t really matter what toothbrush you buy as long as you are using it for the proper amount of time each day.

Flossing 

Flossing your teeth is important. It gets into the areas of your mouth where you toothbrush simply cannot reach. In general dentists see a number of cavities in these areas that could have been prevented by simply flossing.

Fortunately makers of dental products have made it easier and easier for us to floss. I know my family takes full advantage of “flossers” these little plastic pieces have a piece of floss threaded through them and make it easy and convenient to floss. I also love that you can simply toss the whole pick when you are finished. This means no dirty floss threads that didn’t make it into the trash can are left for me to pick up.

Floss picks come in a variety of colors, sizes and flavors. They have animal shapes for kids with bubblegum flavored floss, and for us sophisticated grown-ups they come in the standard blue or green with mint flavored floss.

Mouthwash 

Mouthwash is not to replace flossing, because it doesn’t get the plaque out from in-between your teeth. It can however help to kill the germs that hide in those tiny crevices. It can also kill the germs that are lurking on your gums.

Mouthwash is also useful if you have a sore inside your mouth. While it can burn when you first use it, it can kill the germs and help to get any food that is stuck in between the teeth. Mouthwash is also helpful to prevent bad breath.  Try to avoid eating mints or other breath remedies with sugar as they only mask the smell temporarily. Brush your tongue or purchase some of the tongue cleaning tools that are available at your local drug store. 

Regular Check Ups  

It is important to have regularly scheduled cleanings and checkups with your dentist. This will help to prevent the buildup of tartar. It will also help to catch any small cavities before they turn into bigger ones. It is recommended that you schedule in advance to have your teeth checked every six months.