Without injuring the gums, the Phillips Blotting Technique effectively cleans the hard-to-reach spaces between teeth where plaque accumulates. Many people damage the gum tissue with flossing, so if you must floss, be careful.
 
The most effective way to remove plaque from teeth is through the Phillips Blotting Technique. The special Blotting brush, firmly inserted into the gums will draw plaque away from the gums. The method is similar to the way a painter removes excess paint from an area by dabbing it with a clean paintbrush.
 
Remove the cap and your Blotting Brush looks like a traditional toothbrush, but the bristles are textured and more densely grouped, and it is held differently. While a traditional toothbrush is held like a knife and the elbow is raised high for side-to-side brushing, the Blotting Brush is held like a pencil and the elbow rests close to the body.   You can floss with the bristles too.
 
Instead of using the traditional side-to-side motion, the Phillips Blotting Technique uses an up-and-down motion to reach into the crevices between teeth and gums, and draw out the damaging, trapped plaque. The brush needs to be angled at about 45 degrees, so that one row of bristles can get into that crevice. Then, using a purely vertical movement, the brush is dabbed firmly downward (for the lower teeth), or pushed upward (for the top row of teeth).
 
Be careful not to revert back to side-to-side movement with the brush. Also, unlike brushing, the Phillips Blotting Technique does not use toothpaste. Toothpaste will just clog the Blotting action of the special Blotting Brush.
 
Practice the Phillips Blotting Technique with the outside teeth first. Use your tongue as a guide by placing it against the inside of the teeth to keep the brush from going over the top of your teeth. There is no need to hurry this procedure; the longer you spend in one area, the more comfortable you will become with the motion, resulting in cleaner teeth.
 
After Blotting a few areas, check your brush for plaque under a bright light. Plaque may be difficult to notice because it is white like the brush bristles. A small amount of bleeding actually demonstrates that the Blotting action is working. Do not be alarmed by a little blood, it will decrease and disappear as you use the technique and your gums become healthier. The brush should be cleaned (after every section of teeth) by running the brush under tap water and dried by striking the handle against the edge of the sink or, if you do not have access to a sink, by simply pursing your lips around the bristles of the brush and sipping it dry.
 
Continue Blotting the outside and inside of all the teeth, front, back, top and bottom. Then, turn the brush in the opposite direction at the same angle and tap with a motion from gumline to the top of the teeth. Ease the bristles through the spaces between the teeth. Do this from the outside of the teeth and the inside. This cleans the surface of the teeth and the spaces between them. To clean the biting surface of the teeth, and to get into the pits and fissures that trap plaque and debris, use the brush in a lightweight chewing action.
 
Because teeth comprise only 10% of the mouth, cleaning them excessively still leaves 90% of the mouth dirty. Dead skin cells on the inside of the mouth are an indirect cause of gum disease. Use the Phillips Blotting Technique to brush your gums, the roof of your mouth and especially your tongue. The tongue should be nice and pink. A gagging reflex while cleaning the tongue will help sweeten the breath.
 
If your gums feel tender or sore after using the Phillips Blotting Technique, you may have used too much side-to-side movement. As the strength and health of your gums improve, use a lighter touch and no side movement, and work your way back to a comfortable pressure. It is difficult to put too much pressure on healthy gums.
 
If, after using the technique for a few weeks, you notice that the bristles on your brush are splayed outward, you may be forcing the bristles over the teeth instead of using the edge to get into the crevice. The technique takes some time to get used to, but done effectively, it is a powerful tool for oral health.