How to Properly Brush Teeth
Everyone knows that brushing your teeth is very important to your overall dental health. However, I find that few truly know how to properly brush their teeth. Most people ARE working really hard at it, and still are unable to remove all of the plaque. That is because they have not been taught how to correctly brush their teeth. I have to admit, I also did not know how to properly brush my teeth until I went to dental school at 29 years old.
Patients often think that the harder they brush, the cleaner their teeth will be. That is simply not true. Toothbrushes are designed to have the tips of the bristles sweep across the teeth, not the sides of the bristles, which is what happens when you too firmly press the toothbrush against your teeth. In addition to making this modification in your brushing technique, the American Dental Association and my recommendations are:
Place your toothbrush at a 45 degree angle at the junction between the gums and the teeth.
Gently move the brush back and forth and in small circles.
Brush all outer and inner surfaces and the chewing surfaces of your teeth.
To clean the inside surface of your front teeth, tilt the brush vertically and make several up and down strokes.
Do not forget the 4 most common missed areas – the cheek side of the very last upper teeth and the tongue side of the lower very last teeth. Sometimes you have to move your lower jaw to the side in order to reach the upper back molars.
Brush your tongue to remove bacteria and keep your breath fresh.
Brush for two minutes, use a timer if necessary, this helps you understand what two minutes is. At first it will seem like a very long time, but over time you get used to it and when you not able to brush for two minutes you will feel the difference. If you divide the mouth in 4 quadrants, each quadrant should get 30 seconds of brushing.
Do this twice a day and floss your teeth once a day (preferably before or after your night-time brushing routine).
I usually recommend a sonic toothbrush, but you can get the same clean feeling if you follow these recommendations using a manual toothbrush. You will be amazed by how slick they feel!
