It is recommended that patients brush with a soft toothbrush 2 minutes twice daily and flossing before bed. To achieve a really clean feel and nice breath, brushing the top of the tongue with the toothbrush is also recommended. When brushing be sure to angle the bristles at 45 degrees towards the gums and move in a circular motion instead of sawing side to side. Hard pressure and bristles can cause long term wear of the enamel and gum tissue. Proper flossing involves 12-18 inches of floss, wrapping it around both middle fingers leaving one to two inches to work with. Hold the floss taut between the thumb and index fingers and slide gently up and down each individual side of every tooth. It is important to remember that the plaque you are trying to remove is soft and sticky and the goal is removing it from all of the little grooves and nooks of each tooth. If the gum tissue bleeds, don’t avoid brushing and flossing! Usually the mechanical action will help resolve this and/or make it better.