How Not To Brush Your Teeth
How Not To Brush Your Teeth
There’s a right way and wrong way to brush teeth, according to Cynthia Eubanks, who leads the dental assistant program at Everest College – North Aurora. Eubanks offers the most common mistakes people make when brushing their teeth. How many are YOU guilty of?
- Brushing Only Once A Day
In just 24 hours, millions of bacteria can grow in your mouth and significant amounts of plaque can form on your teeth. To prevent this, most dentists recommend brushing after every meal. At a minimum, you should brush your teeth after breakfast and then before bedtime. - Brushing Too Roughly
Again, a toothbrush shouldn’t be used like sandpaper. Be gentle. Being too rough with your toothbrush can damage tooth enamel and irritate your gums. - Brushing Too Often
If brushing three times a day is good, then four or five times must be better, right? Wrong. Too much brushing can wear away tooth enamel and irritate gums. Which can lead to infection and inflammation - Using A Stiff-Bristled Brush
Again, for you “rougher-is-better” types, using a stiff-bristled brush is likely to cause more harm than good. Using a soft-bristled toothbrush will remove the same amount of debris while causing less trauma to your teeth and gums. - Brushing Teeth At A 90-Degree Angle
For adults, most dental problems don’t start on the tooth surface, but at the gum line. For optimum results, tilt your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle and brush close to the gum - Flossing After Brushing
Flossing is necessary to remove particles brushes miss. But if you’re flossing after brushing, you’re only realizing part of its benefits. Flossing before brushing exposes areas that can benefit from the fluoride in your toothpaste, Which over time can improve your oral health. - Brushing In A Straight Line
Brushing teeth should not be like sawing wood. Over time, brushing in a straight back-and-forth motion can wear ridges in your tooth enamel, making teeth rough and dull. Instead, brush in a circular motion.
