How to Brush Your Teeth Correctly
Did you know that a significant number of people, even those who regularly care for their oral cavity, do so incorrectly? It’s not enough to simply brush your teeth twice a day with a well-advertised toothpaste. Technique and a comprehensive approach are important. Here are some key tips for effective oral hygiene.
How often and when to brush your teeth?
Dentists recommend brushing your teeth with a toothbrush and toothpaste twice a day: in the morning after breakfast and in the evening after dinner (before bed). After snacks during the day, it’s sufficient to rinse your mouth thoroughly with water or chew sugar-free gum for 10-15 minutes.
Which toothpaste to choose?
Toothpastes are conventionally divided into two main groups:
- Hygienic: Their main task is to remove soft plaque and freshen breath.
- Therapeutic-prophylactic: Contain special components aimed at preventing and, to some extent, treating specific problems. For example:
- Fluorides: for caries prevention.
- Antiseptics: for preventing periodontal and oral mucosa diseases.
- Triclosan and other components: for reducing dental plaque.
Important: Only your dentist can help you choose the therapeutic-prophylactic toothpaste that is right for you, based on the condition of your oral cavity.
Tooth brushing technique
Proper tooth brushing includes several types of movements for effective plaque removal from all surfaces:
- Buccal (outer) and lingual/palatal (inner) surfaces: Cleaned with “sweeping” motions, directed from the gum towards the incisal edge or occlusal surface of the tooth.
- Occlusal (chewing) surfaces: Cleaned with circular and back-and-forth (scrubbing) motions.
Remember that the main factor for quality brushing is not the pressure applied to the brush, but the thoroughness and correctness of the movements. The procedure should last at least 3-4 minutes.
Morning brushing:
Performed after breakfast. Don’t forget a gentle gum massage with the brush. Morning hygiene should conclude with cleaning the tongue, as a large amount of plaque and microbes accumulate on its surface. You can use a regular toothbrush, a special surface on the back of the brush, or a separate tongue scraper. The tongue is cleaned with sweeping motions from the back to the tip. If you have a heightened gag reflex, clean at least the front part of the tongue.
Evening brushing:
Performed after the last meal. It is not recommended to eat or drink sugary beverages after evening brushing. An essential element of evening hygiene is cleaning the interdental spaces with dental floss.
How to use dental floss correctly?
The flossing technique is simple but requires care:
- Take a piece of floss about 30-40 cm (12-15 inches) long.
- Wrap most of the floss around the middle fingers of both hands, leaving a working section of 2-3 cm (1 inch) between them, which you will hold with your thumbs and forefingers.
- Gently, using a sawing motion, guide the taut floss into the interdental space, being careful not to injure the gum.
- Wrap the floss around the side surface of one tooth (in a “C” shape) and, with several movements from the gum towards the edge of the tooth, remove the plaque.
- Repeat the same for the side surface of the adjacent tooth, using a clean section of floss.
- For each interdental space, use a new, clean section of floss.
Movements should be smooth and gentle, without excessive force, to avoid damaging the gums. It is recommended to use dental floss daily, at least once a day (preferably in the evening). No toothbrush, not even the most modern one, can completely clean the contact surfaces of the teeth, so flossing is an indispensable part of complete hygiene.