As you by your daily oral care routine, have you ever wondered if you are brushing teeth properly?
Especially, if you see some staining even if you brush, floss and use a mouthwash.
That is when you should pay attention to the way you brush your teeth. Are you using enough a worn-out toothbrush? Are you brushing long enough? Do you go hard on your teeth?
There might be a few mistakes that you are making in your brushing routine but you are totally unaware of them.
Keep reading to find out below certain tooth brushing mistakes and how you can avoid doing them.
Choosing a ToothBrush
Teeth brushing begins by choosing the right tool, your toothbrush.
While choosing a toothbrush, make sure that it has soft bristles rather than hard ones.
Hard bristles will be harsh on your teeth, enamel and gums. As a result, they can wear down your enamel and cause sensitive teeth.
Therefore, you should only go for toothbrushes that have soft bristles.
Next, you may also want to make sure that the brush head is not too big. The brush head should fit in your mouth properly, hence, go for a small one rather a big one.
If your brush head will be bigger and does not fit in your mouth then it will not reach certain areas inside the mouth properly.
This will leave a few teeth unclean and can later result in plaque formation.
Moreover, if you need a timer, to remind you of brushing for entire 2 minutes and special features like rotating and oscillating head then go for an electric toothbrush.
Also, remember to replace your toothbrush after every 3 months. After 3 months your bristles will be frayed and will not work properly. If you see a brown residue or a different color, it is time to replace your toothbrush to work properly.
Hence, you make a mistake by choosing the wrong toothbrush. Begin by using a soft-bristled toothbrush with the right head size. Additional features are up to your choice therefore, they are optional.
Brushing Teeth Using The Right Technique
Do you use a side-to-side motion while brushing? Well, then I am afraid you are not brushing correctly.
You should brush in small circular motions. They are not only effective but also gentle on your teeth. They reach the gaps in your teeth.
In fact, if you go harshly from side to side, that can harm the lining of the soft tissue in between the teeth and gums.
Therefore, be very gentle and work in circles. Place the toothbrush beneath the gum line and do not forget to miss the gums as the toothbrush should make contact with the gums too.
When brushing behind the teeth, hold it vertically but make sure to be gentle and avoid any bend in the bristles.
Moreover, hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle while using circular strokes.
This angle effectively reaches above and underneath the gum line and in between the gums and teeth.
Some toothbrushes make this easier by having angled bristles while you can make it manually by holding a simple brush at the right angle.
This angle avoids cavities, gum diseases and staining by properly cleaning under the gum line.
This area is where bacteria build-up since it is mostly missed. Brushing involves cleaning the chewing surfaces as well as the gum line and this angel makes sure that you reach the bacteria hidden under the gum line.
It helps to clean effectively while being softer on the teeth.
Brushing Teeth Slowly
Your brushing time should be exactly 2 minutes each time and no less. However, the average time people spent on brushing is usually 45 seconds as they do it quite hurriedly.
This will only keep the teeth unclean and you will miss a few of them. It will also not attach the fluoride in the toothpaste to your enamel in this less time.
Under 2 minutes you may be brushing your front teeth properly but are your teeth at the back clean too? Probably not. Also if you are brushing fastly, you are harsher on your teeth.
You should not brush harshly as it can erode your enamel. Though if you are brushing fastly then you are probably not taking care of it being gentle and in circular motions.
Hence, make sure that you set a timer for 2 minutes and brush for the exact time. Electric toothbrushes have an inbuilt timer, if you do not have that then set it on your phone or play a song for 2 minutes to keep you busy while brushing.
While you should definitely brush twice a day for 2 minutes, you should not be brushing frequently after every meal.
Do not rush to brush as soon as you eat as you will combine the acids with an abrasive in the toothpaste.
This will enable the acids to harm your enamel rather than neutralize them.
Hence, according to American Dental Association, wait at least 30 minutes or an hour after a meal before you go to brush your teeth.
Rectify Mistakes
Don’t Rinse But Spit
This may come as a surprise but you should try to spit as many contents out as possible rather than rinsing your mouth with water after brushing.
Why is that so? Well, your toothpaste should contain fluoride and you should give it enough time to stick to your enamel and be effective.
If you use water then it will wash away the fluoride immediately. Therefore, spit out the toothpaste and clean your face with a towel.
If you still feel unclean then rinse with a fluoride mouthwash rather than water. After you brush, wait for at least 30 minutes to eat and drink something so that the fluoride works properly.
Change The Routine
If you follow the same pattern and routine while brushing, you are likely missing out on a few teeth and important areas to clean.
Change this autopilot routine to follow an irregular pattern. Begin from the back if you usually brush the front teeth first and vice versa.
Then gradually move the brush in a new pattern and different areas than what you are used to generally.
This will help you get in a new pattern and reach those areas that you usually miss. What’s more, is that you will consciously brush hence, you will not find 2 minutes a very long time.
You can make full use of this by using an electric toothbrush. It rotates and oscillates in different directions and guides your brushing pattern rather than you setting it. Therefore, it cleans plaque more effectively so that you will not need a dental whitening session.
Do Not Place Your Toothbrush in the Washroom
Your brush should be in a hygienic place and a washroom is not the most hygienic place.
There can be a chance of parts of human feces landing on your toothbrush because of flushing the toilet. Yikes!
Moreover, if you share the washroom with kids then there can be other hygiene issues too.
Hence, you should make sure that your toothbrush has a lid at all times. But it is better to place it outside the washroom rather than inside.
Clean The Tongue
While you brush your teeth, jaw and gum line, don’t forget the tongue.
The tongue traps bacteria which could lead to bad breath. Hence, either use a toothbrush that contains a tongue scraper at the back or use a tongue scraper after brushing your teeth.
You can also use the toothbrush bristles to clean the tongue though, it will not perform as well as a scraper.
Clean the tongue whenever you brush. Do so twice a day to get rid of the bacteria as they can lead to gum diseases. Your entire mouth should not contain the bad bacteria either it is the teeth or tongue, hence, clean it meticulously.
Benefits of Brushing Teeth
Now that you know about the proper way to brush teeth, let’s discuss the importance of brushing teeth twice a day.
Brushing helps to:
If you do not brush then the food particles begin to decompose inside your mouth making bacteria. This bacteria accumulates as plaque which you can easily remove by proper brushing and flossing.
However, if you don’t then it can settle beneath the gum line and lead to tooth decay, cavity and gum disease.
You will need extensive procedures such as dental fillings and dental implants to rectify this damage. Hence, clean regularly to eliminate bacteria.
This bacteria can also pass down to your digestive system where it can increase the likelihood of getting heart diseases, dementia, stroke and infections from pregnant mother to child.
Cleaning your tongue alongside your teeth helps to keep the bacteria at bay. Therefore, the nasty bacteria that produce a bad odor are cleaned properly.
Bad Breath can make a bad impression in personal and professional settings. If you do not clean your tongue and teeth properly then it will persist and you will suffer as a result.
Hence, to maintain a good impression and look hygienic, you should clean your teeth properly.
If you do not brush, then your teeth will stain and discolor rapidly. Using a slightly abrasive toothpaste will prevent staining and protect your teeth from becoming yellow.
The motion of the toothbrush further helps to remove the plaque and whiten teeth.
Finally,
Brushing teeth is essential for living a hygienic life. You can prevent not only oral but also other health diseases if you brush properly daily.
However, if you do not, then you will be visiting the dentist quite regularly. Hence, protect your teeth by properly brushing them.
