*** Be careful not to brush your teeth too hard, which can damage sensitive gums. *** Brush from your gumline to the top of each tooth in short, gentle strokes. *** Make sure you thoroughly brush the entire height of your teeth (especially where you chew). Be sure to get the bristles down in the crevices where food can collect. *** Thoroughly brush the insides of your teeth. For the backs of hard-to-brush front teeth, try holding the toothbrush almost vertically, and brush up and down. *** Always brush your tongue and the roof of your mouth to get rid of bacteria. Use a sweeping, forward motion to clean these areas. *** Brush your teeth for two to three minutes at a time. *** Carefully floss between your teeth, back and forth, and gently down to the gumline. *** Curve the floss around each tooth -- don't forget the backs of teeth. Gently move the floss up and down to dislodge food and bacteria-laden plaque.