Oral hygiene is the practice of keeping the mouth clean and is a means of preventing dental caries, gingivitis, periodontitis, bad breath and other dental disorders. It consists of both professional and personal care whereas professional cleanings is usually done by dentists and dental hygienists to remove tartar or calculus (mineralized plaque) that may develop even with careful brushing and flossing. For more serious periodontal problem professional cleaning will include root planning using various instruments or devices to loosen and remove deposits from teeth above and below the gum. Sometimes periodontal surgery and splinting of loosening teeth may be done to strengthen the teeth.

The purpose of cleaning teeth is to remove plaque, which consists mostly of bacteria.  We recommend regular brushing twice a day (in the morning and in the evening, or after meals and before going to bed) in order to prevent formation of plaque and tartar. A toothbrush is able to remove most plaque, excepting areas between teeth. As a result, flossing is also considered a necessity to maintain good oral hygiene. When used correctly, dental floss removes plaque from between teeth and at the gum line, where periodontal disease often begins and could develop caries. Use of  electrical toothbrushes are more favorable to children than adult and can be very effective if supervised, the most important advantage of electric toothbrushes is their ability to aid people with dexterity difficulties, such as those associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

In addition, we recommend brushing with fluoridated tooth paste as fluoride protect against dental caries, in areas where water fluoridation is not done or low and for children rampant with caries fluoride supplements will decrease the incidence of dental caries. Fluoride helps prevent dental decay by binding to the hydroxyapatite crystals in enamel.

The incorporated fluoride makes enamel more resistant to demineralization and thus more resistant to decay. Topical fluoride, such as a fluoride mouthwash is also recommended to protect teeth surfaces.