- Gently brush teeth twice a day with a soft nylon brush with rounded ends on the bristles.
- Avoid hard back-and-forth scrubbing.
- Use small circle motions and short back-and-forth motions.
- Gently brush your tongue, which can trap germs.
- Use a fluoride toothpaste to protect teeth from decay.
Check Your Work. Dental plaque is hard to see unless it is stained. Plaque can be stained by chewing red "disclosing tablets" sold at grocery stores and drug stores or by using a cotton swab to smear green food coloring on the teeth. The color left on the teeth shows where there is still plaque. Extra flossing and brushing will remove this plaque.
