The Importance of Brushing Your Teeth

Brushing is important. You have to do it. Not brushing will cause unbelievable, and sometimes irreversible, damage. We’ve spoken to you before about how it is possible to brush too much. But now we would like to take a minute to give you some of the basics of brushing your teeth.

Brushing your teeth is a delicate process. Most of us rush at it like we’re attacking and punishing our mouth for doing something wrong. No matter how many bad words you’ve said, your mouth doesn’t deserve that. Anyway, isn’t soap reserved for that kind of punishment?

The Right Brush for Those Pearly Whites

To clean old paint off of furniture and and other tough surfaces, we use steel wool. But your teeth aren’t furniture, and hopefully they don’t have any paint on them. For something as delicate, and important, as your teeth you really should lean towards caution when choosing your toothbrush. It’s best to find a soft bristle brush. It may seem counterintuitive, but a soft bristle toothbrush is plenty strong enough to remove plaque and debris from your teeth. It is also soft enough to not do any damage to your gums or enamel. It’s best for this soft bristle brush to be on a small head so that you can reach all the way back to those hard-to-reach teeth the commercials always tell us about. Once you have this toothbrush and begin using it, you should only continue doing so for about three months, or until it begins to obviously wear down. If you happen to get sick sometime before either of those happen, then you should get a new brush as soon as you are no longer sick.

Finding The Right Toothpaste

Choosing the right toothpaste is also an important task. Do you have sensitive teeth? Is it more important to you to whiten your teeth, or prevent plaque and gingivitis? Do you already have cavities, or are you trying fiercely to prevent cavities? These are all tough questions to consider. If you’re having a hard time deciding, you should ask a dental professional. Once you decide, it’s important to remember not to use too much. Toothpaste is made with cleansing chemicals, and too much of that hitting your gums too often can cause damage over time. It’s best to just use a small dollop on your toothbrush, and to brush gently.

Brushing Technique

Now that you have the right toothbrush, and the right toothpaste, it’s time to start brushing. Place the toothbrush at a 45% angle to the gums. This angle allows you to access the most area, helping you get everything nice and clean. Don’t just go at your teeth with a rough scrubbing action. Make nice, easy strokes in a circular motion, move over the crown of your teeth, moving from outside to inside and making sure to get every tooth. Don’t forget to take care of the chewing surfaces – while we try to swallow most of what we eat, a lot of it can get stuck on those chewing surfaces. Finally, give your tongue and the roof of your mouth a good scrub. This will help with many bad breath issues.

Proper brushing takes care of a lot of things. It keeps your teeth clean, your breath fresh, and the people around you happy. Do it once in the morning before hitting the world, and once in the evening before hitting the sack, and you should be in good shape. If you are consistently taking care of your teeth, and you are still having trouble, please come in and see us.