Dentist appointments can be scary. Sitting in that chair with a bright light shining above you while the dentist scrapes between your teeth is enough to keep anyone away. And as your gums begin to bleed, you silently plea that your next appointment will be better — and it will be, if you follow these tips that will help keep your entire mouth clean and impress your dentist.

Set a timer. Haphazardly brushing your teeth in the morning before you run out the door to catch your bus might get rid of your morning breath, but it’s not likely to have a meaningful effect on your overall health, says Eugene Antenucci, a clinical associate with the New York University College of Dentistry and spokesman for Academy of General Dentistry. “To effectively reach all areas and rid your mouth of cavity-causing bacteria, it is recommended to brush for at least two minutes, twice a day,” he says. “Use a timer, or play a song that lasts two minutes.”

[Read: How to Treat Your Teeth: 4 Steps to Pearly Whites.]

Brush softer. Most people try to scrub their teeth clean with their toothbrush, but doing that does little more than ruin your enamel, Antenucci says. Instead, hold your brush softly at a 45-degree angle, and brush in a circular motion. “Brushing too hard in a sawing, back-and-forth motion can cause the gums to recede and possibly even damage tooth structure,” he says. Buying a softer toothbrush can help save your enamel as well. “It’s a myth that harder bristles do a better job,” Antenucci says. “Harder bristles can damage gum and tooth structures.”

Change your toothbrush often. An old, frayed toothbrush isn’t going to do a great job getting your mouth clean, Antenucci says, so be sure to replace your brush whenever you see the bristles start to wear. “Not only are old toothbrushes ineffective, but they may harbor harmful bacteria that can cause infections such as gingivitis and gum disease,” he says. “Toothbrushes should be changed every three to four months or after you’ve been sick.”

Go high-tech. Electric toothbrushes are a better choice for some people than manual brushes, says Linda Niessen, dean of the Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine, because they closely resemble the tools dentists use in their office. “They also do a better job of cleaning in hard to reach places,” she says. Niessen also recommends a free app called Brush DJ that will play music in two-minute increments to help you time your brushing. “Once the music is up, you know you’re done.”

[Read: 9 Easy Dental Care Tips.]

Chew gum. It’s not always possible to brush your teeth between meals, so keeping a pack of sugar-free gum on hand can help you ward off cavities, says Joan Otomo-Corgel, president of the American Academy of Periodontology. “Because bacteria often feed off of the sugar that lingers from the food we eat, chewing sugar-free gum may be helpful in removing food debris when brushing or flossing is not an option,” she says. “Saliva has natural antibacterial properties and can help serve as a buffer between the bacteria that causes gum diseases and the bone and tissues around your teeth, since gum-chewing helps to increase saliva flow in the mouth.”

Floss. Just using a toothbrush is not enough, says David Genet, a periodontist based in Aventura, Florida. Flossing, which you should do before you brush, helps loosen plaque between teeth that your brush would otherwise be unable to reach. The proper way to floss is to wrap 18 inches around your fingers and move it gently in a U-shape between your teeth, using a clean section for each tooth. “Don’t saw it back and forth until your gums bleed,” he says.

[Read: 4 Steps to Fresher Breath.]

While all these tips will help you impress your dentist, the best tip is to be consistent, Genet says. Most people will become an oral-health fanatic in the week before their appointment, but managing your care between appointments is far more important. “Create good habits in the three to six months between visits, rather than trying to play catch-up with your health,” he says. “Look at it this way — studying for a test every day is much more effective than cramming the night before.”

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