Oral Hygiene (brushing and flossing) instruction is easily the most overrated and forgotten treatment in periodontal disease therapy.  It is a fact that periodontal disease is caused by plaque, the bacterial biofilm that develops on the teeth.  All the treatment possible can be performed to reduce probing depths and get tissue to health, but if oral hygiene is not excellent, it will all be for naught.  There is a reason why periodontal disease occurred in the first place, and if we do not address that cause (inadequate oral hygiene), then the disease will recur.  

The fact is that most people do not brush and floss properly or for long enough.  Brushing should be done for two minutes twice a day (typically morning and night).  While brushing is an essential part of oral hygiene, it simply cannot clean all aspects of a tooth.  Brushing can clean the front and back of teeth, but bristles cannot get in between teeth to effectively remove plaque and calculus.  That is why it is essential to include flossing in your oral hygiene regiment.  Without it, plaque is left interproximal (in between) teeth, and periodontal disease process continues in these areas.  

Videos below provide instructions on brushing and flossing:

  Brushing Technique (electric)    Brushing Technique (manual)     Flossing Technique

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