BRUSHING OUR TEETH is something we can get so used to doing that we don’t really think about it, but are we doing it the right way? It can be easy to get into some bad tooth-brushing habits, and the result can be that your teeth aren’t getting cleaned properly and you could be doing damage to your gums. So let’s take a moment to go over good brushing technique.
What To Avoid When Brushing Your Teeth
A few of the things we should avoid when we brush our teeth are brushing too hard, only brushing up and down or side-to-side. Always brush in small circular motion as you keep bristles of the tooth brush 45 degrees into the gums. This way you not only get the area between the teeth and the gums you also will be able to brush the areas between the teeth. The areas between the teeth cold be supplemented with flossing later. Remember brushing too hard can damage our enamel and our gum tissue, which is why we should also avoid hard-bristled brushes. If after a few brushes the bristles of the brush opens, it is time to throw the tooth brush away. The bristles break and sharpen up and that injures the gums.
I generally recommend the same brushing routine when you use electric toothbrush. Although the brush rotates or vibrates still hold it at 45 degrees to the gum line and scrub in small circular motions.
Brushing Your Teeth The Right Way
The first rule of good brushing is one you’ve likely heard all your life: brush twice a day every day for at least two minutes. The most important time to brush and floss teeth is at night when you are sleep you do not make as much saliva. The main function of the saliva is to stick the food together, so it can be swallowed. The food that remains on the teeth at night causes more damage.
Do not forget to brush in small circular motion and scrape your tongue. Tongue-scraping is crucial step in getting rid of harmful bacteria that stays on the tongue. Also, do not forget to floss. Brush only cleans 60% of the tooth; the other 40% of the tooth is between the teeth.
Timing is also important. Our teeth often feel unpleasant after a meal, but as much as you want to clean them, make sure you wait at least half an hour after eating before you brush. The acids in our food and produced by oral bacteria soften our enamel right after we eat, and it takes about half an hour for our saliva to restore a neutral pH. If we brush too soon, we can actually brush away some of our enamel! That causes the sensitivity of the teeth.
Ask Dr. Samsavar For More Tips
If you’d like more tips on tooth brushing techniques, just ask dr. Samsavar! We can make sure your oral health routine is on track for keeping your teeth healthy for life. And don’t forget that an essential component of having healthy teeth is scheduling regular dental appointments!
Top image by Flickr user Gloria used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.
The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
