OK you’ve heard it before – there are correct and incorrect ways to brush your teeth. Though this might tend to make you roll your eyes, these methods have been identified by people in-the-know (namely dentists) so you should probably give them some weight. Many of them are common sense, but some wouldn’t necessarily occur to you right away. Let’s go over some basic tooth brushing technique.
- Brush your teeth thoroughly by doing it in order. This seems like common sense but it is easy to overlook. Getting in the habit of brushing your teeth in order insures that you’ll cover more areas, missing less due to carelessness. Some examples of orders you might use are, say, moving from one side of your mouth to the other or brushing the top and bottom front, top and bottom back, and then the chewing surfaces.
- Especially for adults, the angle at which you hold the brush is important. Brushing side to side directly up against the gums is not recommended. This has the potential to be hazardous and contribute to receding gum line. Instead hold the brush at a 45 degree angle and “roll” it back and forth, generally away from the gums, adjusting the angle, and not coming up too directly against the gums for too long.
- As regards times and duration – brush at least twice a day. Probably white bread advice you’ve heard at the dentist already, but it deserves mention. Often just after breakfast or just after dinner are said to be good times so as to dislodge particles. Also, brush for around 2 minutes – that’s the recommended time range for thoroughness and effectiveness.
- There’s some controversy about tooth brush qualities such as hard and soft bristles, the size of the brushing head and so on. Hardness helps stimulate gums which is good for gingivitis prevention and general gum health but harder toothbrushes also wear down tooth enamel more easily. So medium to medium soft brushes are often recommended. The general consensus concerning size seems to be that smaller brushes get in between teeth and under the gum line more easily. Large brushes cover more area in a shorter time but are not as thorough.
- As suggested above, it’s important to brush between the teeth and past the gum line. A lot of debris collects around the base of the tooth just under the gums, so it is important to try to brush there as well. This tissue is not attached to the tooth so it’s easy enough to get under it. It’s also important for the brush to at least some extent penetrate between teeth. Again, smaller brushes tend to be easier to maneuver around and into these hard to reach areas, so they often do a better job in these spots. Flossing also helps with these areas but you should try to reach them with the toothbrush as well.
- Brush your gums, tongue, cheeks, and even the roof of your mouth. Your toothbrush is not only for your teeth. These other areas accumulate plaque and bacteria and the toothbrush helps to scrape it off and circulate the toothpaste. As well as being healthy this also helps fight bad breath.
- Put adequate pressure on teeth. Notice the word is “adequate” here. Too much pressure and too little pressure are both counter productive. Too much pressure can wear on teeth and gums and too little pressure results in not enough plaque or food particles getting dislodged. So keep it firm but moderate.
There are other tips and tricks but those are some of the basics of good tooth brushing habits. They are not something to obsess over, but knowing them in a general sense will help you maintain good dental health and get the most out of those few minutes over the bathroom sink each day.
Brush after breakfast and after dinner
Brush in order from one side of the mouth to the other so that all areas are covered
Sweeping and penetrating movements. Sweeping movements are the usual ones people are used to.
Penetrating movements are a back and forth motion of the brush while exerting pressure on it.
Horizontal strokes not recommended
Common errors in brushing
Not enough pressure on teeth – results in lack of penetration between teeth.
Not brushing gums, tongue, and teeth
Not holding brush flat against tooth surface
For adults, hold the brush at 45 degree angle and roll the brush away from the gum line. Going back and forth against the gums is not recommended
Again, best to have an order – top outside, bottom outside, top inside, bottom inside, and chewing surfaces
Soft, small headed tooth brushes are sometimes considered better – they can better penetrate between teeth
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Brushing is simply compensation for lack of stimulation we no longer receive from heavy chewing work. Modern diet with processing requires little chewing and fails to keep oral tissues healthy. Thus we must brush effectively. If we imitate the chewing motion we may be the one in ten conscientious brushers that keep mouths healthy. Good luck!
Patients should be advised to brush with soft or ultra-soft bristles only. Also, they should be advised to use a brush for no more than 3 months. The Bass technique is most effective for cleaning the sulcus and is described as follows: angle the brush at a 45 degree angle into the gum line and gently vibrate the brush with short left and right strokes over 2-3 teeth at a time; move the brush to the next area and repeat until all teeth have been brushed in sequence. Biting surfaces should be brushed with a scrubbing stroke and inside upper and lower front teeth should be brushed using the heel or toe of the brush, not the side (it does’t fit the curved lingual surfaces).
To achieve the perfectly healthy gums that Nature intended there must be a mental picture of the nibbling chewing motion that occurs during heavy chewing. The closest imitation of this, with little up and down movements ,is likely to access the most important gaps between teeth where most disease occurs. Soft floppy inaccurate brushes guarantee failure for the same reason we use nail brushes with short accurate bristles. It is impossible to access tight narrow spaces with soft bristles.