Though brushing your teeth seems like an easy task, many of us don’t do it as well as we should. Luckily, it’s easy to rectify the mistakes we make while brushing our teeth. We just have to be aware of them. Read on for a list of ways we can easily improve our oral health.
Buying the Wrong Brush
Our local supermarkets stock a staggering variety of brushes. Choice is good, but it can sometimes be difficult to choose from a wide array of choices, overwhelmed by the number of options that are available. A simple criterion would be the toothbrush need to reach everywhere in your mouth. All essential areas should receive adequate coverage. Regardless of whether it’s an electric toothbrush or a manual toothbrush, there is one essential feature that is needed. Your toothbrush of choice should have soft bristles. With soft bristles, you’ll be able to reach under your gums easily. Flexible bristles bend to fit into the nooks and crannies of your mouth to get rid of harmful bacteria. If you have a smaller mouth, consider getting a toothbrush with a smaller head, too. Choose from a range of toothbrushes with varying sizes and angled handles. It ultimately comes down to whether your toothbrush is able to effectively remove bacteria and loosen plaque from your gums and teeth. Plaque can result in tooth decay and gum disease.
You Don’t Give it Enough Time
Everyone knows that you should be brushing your teeth at least twice a day. But some may not know that each brushing session actually requires a minimum duration of two minutes. And it may be tempting to cut that brushing short. In a scenario where you’d like to get back to bed as soon as possible, or you’re late for school or work in the morning, it’s difficult to stick to the recommended schedule of two minutes. To keep track of how long you actually spend brushing your teeth, it’d be a good idea to grab your cell phone and set a two-minute timer. Or, if you love listening to music, brush while you jam out to your favorite song. Once the song’s finished, you’ve probably been brushing your teeth for long enough.
You Brush Too Hard
Most people abide by the principle that applying more force while brushing their teeth gets rid of more bacteria. This is actually not true. Scrubbing teeth harder does not indicate that you are doing a better job of brushing your teeth. In fact, it can actually wear down your tooth structure, or hurt your gums. Brushing with a moderate amount of force will help to effectively remove plaque. This is because plaque is loose and soft. If it helps, you can think of brushing your teeth in another way. Try thinking about cleaning your teeth as massaging your gums instead.
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