How can I have cleaner teeth?

[Chelsea]

Hi

I try hard to clean my teeth as well as possible. I have an electric toothbrush that I use three times a day, I floss every day and I see the hygienist every 6 months. I also use whitening toothpaste but my teeth still look yellow and unclean. The hygienist always tells me that I am not cleaning my teeth properly and leaving bacteria behind on my teeth. I don't know what more I can do really to have clean teeth.

Do you know what I should do to have cleaner teeth?

[Dr Mohsen J. Esfahani]

Hi

Thank you for your post. Sounds like you are doing your best to keep your teeth clean but sometimes plaque can be difficult to detect and clean.

After you clean your teeth, you could use special plaque disclosing tablets to highlight the areas on your teeth that still have plaque attached to them. You will be surprised how much plaque can remain after tooth brushing.

You may need to modify your brushing technique/time to remove all the plaque from your teeth and the disclosing tablets will show you the areas that you are missing out. You can pick up disclosing tablets at most dental clinics.

I would recommend using a good electric toothbrush and flossing daily to keep the areas in between your teeth clean.