Tooth brushing mistakes
08/09/2014 -
Oral Health
Tooth brushing is such a rooted habit and a few people consider how exactly they do it. Some mistakes though could lead to the damage of teeth and gums.
Toothbrush
- The toothbrush’s head should have rounded edges, so that it could allow easy access to all teeth surfaces. For most of the adults a toothbrush with a small size of the head is the easiest and most effective for usage. With the bigger heads the brushing of some hardly accessible areas is complicated, the distal teeth for instance.
- The toothbrush should have comfortable and long enough handle, so that you could comfortably hold it in on your hand.
- It is necessary that it should have bristles hard enough to remove the plaque, but not to harm the gums. For the vast majority of people medium to soft brush is comfortable and safe choice.
- Most suitable are the brushes with synthetic bristles. The natural bristles allow the bacteria growth.
Electric or manual toothbrush
This is usually a matter of personal taste. What is important is to use it correctly and long enough. Your dentist will advise you which is the best toothbrush for you according to your specific needs.
Storage
- The permanently wet toothbrush creates a pleasant environment for bacteria growth. After you brush your teeth rinse well your toothbrush, so that you remove the paste and the food remains from it. Leave the brush straight in a dry place.
- The brush should be changed after three or four months, or even oftener if its bristles seem damaged. Some toothbrushes have color indicators, which change, when the time for change comes.
- Teeth should be brushed at least twice a day for three minutes, so that the food remains and plaque could be removed. If you have this opportunity, brush them after every meal.
Aggressively
The unduly hard and aggressive brushing could lead to irritation of the gums and destruction of the tooth’s enamel.
Correctly
- Sometimes people do not brush their teeth correctly. Narrow the brush in a 45 degrees against the gum and brush with vertical or small circular moves, but not horizontally.
- Do not forget to brush the outer and inner surfaces of the teeth, the masticatory parts and the tongue.
- Many people start the brushing from one and the same part of the mouth and until they reach the last quadrant they are bored. It is good to start from a different place every time. Thus the same teeth will not be left for the end
- Most of the people forget to brush the inner parts of the teeth. The most missed are the ones on the lower front teeth. So that you could brush them effectively, bond the brush vertically and make small circular moves with its frontal part.
