According to Dentists, We Could’ve Been Brushing Teeth the Wrong Way


Advertisements
 

You wake up in the morning and struggle to make your way to the bathroom. You switch on the lights, throw some toothpaste onto your toothbrush and start brushing furiously to get it over and done with.

You weren’t even thinking.

Sounds familiar? Brushing of teeth has been a part of our routine, we hardly even notice the way we do it.

But is there even a right way to brush your teeth? According to dentists, there is a correct way to do so.

In fact, we might have learnt it during primary school, but forgot all about it as other priorities took over.

The Right Way to Brush Your Teeth

Did you know that a proper brushing takes at least two minutes? Yeap, that’s 120 seconds!

Most of us do not come close to brushing that long. We try to conveniently save time by cutting our time taken to brush our teeth. I’m guilty as charged for this one.

To properly brush your teeth, use short, gentle strokes, as well as pay extra attention to the gumline, hard-to-reach back teeth and areas.

Concentrate on thoroughly cleaning each section of your teeth. No slacking!

Image: dentaldefend.com

Tilt the brush at a 45° angle against the gumline and sweep or roll the brush away from the gumline. After brushing the outside, proceed to gently clean the inside and chewing surface of each tooth using short back-and-forth strokes.

Don’t forget to brush your tongue to remove bacteria and freshen your breath as well – some toothbrush has a tongue cleaner at the back of the toothbrush.

I don’t know about you, but that seems exactly like how my primary school dentist has taught me. In fact, we’ll have to sweep it ten times. Why do some of us decide to do it in a different way now?

Now that you know, stop doing this.

Of course, brushing your teeth is only a part of a complete dental care routine. You should also eat a balanced diet as well as visit your dentist regularly for professional cleanings and oral exams.