STOP Making These Mistakes When Brushing Your Teeth!

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Here are some common mistakes that my patients, friends, and family often make when they are brushing their teeth. Learn more about it by watching the video and reading the post below.

Firstly, stop using a HARD toothbrush. Using a hard toothbrush can lead to receding gums, and even damaged enamel (non-carious cervical lesions). Dentists recommend the use a soft toothbrush to reduce risk of damaging your teeth and gums during brushing.

Secondly, another mistake people make when they brush their teeth is that they brush too hard (too much force applied). You probably think that brushing harder will remove more leftover food and bacteria, but really, gentle brushing is all that’s needed. The aim is to use a light touch when brushing. This also prevents the possibility of wearing down your tooth enamel (a protective layer on your teeth) and reduces risk of gingival recession from brushing too hard. A simple way to check if you are brushing too hard is to check your bristles – if they are flattened, it means that you are probably brushing too hard, and it is time for a change of toothbrush.

The third mistake people often make is that they only brush their teeth without brushing the gum-line (area between the pink of the gums and the white of the tooth). It is necessary to brush at your gumline because of the natural space that exists between the gum and the tooth (this pocket can trap bacteria, plaque).

To brush at the gum-line, we recommend the modified bass technique:

Modified Bass Technique (BEST WAY of brushing!)

• Systemic manner: Go from right to left, starting at the outer surfaces, followed by inner surfaces, then the biting surfaces

• 2 teeth at a time

• 45 degree angle at the gum line

• Jiggle 3-4x at the gumline, sweep towards the biting surface

The fourth mistake people tend to make is that their brushing time is too short. According to a 2009 Study by the Journal of Dental Hygiene, (https://jdh.adha.org/content/jdenthyg/83/3/111.full.pdf) most people brush their teeth in 45 seconds. The recommended brushing time is 2 minutes, this will help to remove more plaque.

Another mistake people tend to make is brushing immediately after they eat, especially acidic foods. Brushing too soon after having acidic foods such as oranges, lemon, and soda drinks such as coke, can remove enamel on your teeth that has been weakened by acid. According to Mouth Healthy by the ADA, it is recommended to wait around 60 minutes after such meals before brushing your teeth.

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Acidic foods such as these can soften your enamel, so avoid brushing immediately after eating such foods.

The sixth mistake people often make is NOT Changing your toothbrush regularly enough. The ADA recommends changing your toothbrush every 3-4 months, as frayed and broken bristles wont clean as well.

Thank you for reading the post, do leave a comment if you have any questions. 🙂