Make one of these mistakes and your dental health will be affected. You may not clean your teeth as thoroughly as necessary, or you may do more harm than good to your gums. In either case, there are changes you can make to improve things.
Here are 6 mistakes you should avoid when brushing your teeth – but which you probably do every now and then.
1. You brush too hard
The first and most obvious mistake to avoid is brushing too hard. This is easily done when we want our teeth thoroughly cleaned, hoping to whiten them in the process.
However, you should avoid this habit because it will wear down the enamel and damage the gum line. In fact, it can even cause your gum line to recede, encouraging gum disease and increased sensitivity.
On top of this, the brush head will become damaged and misshapen if you brush your teeth too hard, meaning you will need to replace it more often and spend more on dental care in the long run.
2. You don’t brush long enough
We are always busy, especially first thing in the morning, and therefore many of us do not give enough time to our teeth.
To help us keep going long enough, some electric toothbrushes have timers that remind you to move on to the next part of your mouth. There tend to be four 30-second timed sessions, with a break in tempo between each to tell us to move on to the next quadrant. The toothbrush will then alert you after the recommended two minutes to indicate that the time is up.
Although many of us have this guide, the problem is that many of us ignore it. We manage a quick brushing around the mouth and assume that is enough.
But less than two minutes is not enough time to provide thorough cleaning. You will likely miss important areas of your mouth, which leads to our next mistake.
3. You can’t quite get around
Even if you spend a full two minutes brushing your teeth, you need to make sure you brush them properly. You need to give each tooth a smooth and even clean, both front, back and on top.
In addition, you need to make sure that your polishing method is correct. If you have an electric toothbrush, you don’t need to scrub, it’s best if you gradually work your way from tooth to tooth, moving slowly but effectively.
Most of us are used to brushing a lot from our days with a manual toothbrush, so it can be a hard habit to break. However, if you scrub with an electric toothbrush, it will not achieve a more effective cleaning.
4. You use an old toothbrush head
Whether you use a manual or electric toothbrush, the head/brush needs to be changed from time to time. Otherwise, it will gradually wear out, fray and lose its effectiveness.
Not only that, it can also harbor bacteria over time, so it should be replaced when needed.
The recommendation is to change the brush head every three to four months, although it may need to be done more often if it shows visible signs of damage.
To avoid bacterial growth, make sure the toothbrush is stored properly between uses. This means you need to make sure the brush head is uncovered and allowed to air dry completely. Do not store your toothbrush in a drawer or cabinet, and avoid using brush head covers.
5. You forget to floss
Although some may not want to think about it, flossing is an important part of dental care. It removes plaque and food residues that the toothbrush cannot reach.
This is important because otherwise this plaque can lead to gum disease and tooth decay.
If you’re not a fan of traditional floss, you can choose to use a “water floss” instead. These remove plaque from between the teeth using focused water jets. This combines an electric toothbrush with dental floss to save space. Keep in mind that this can be a messy process, especially before you get used to using it.
6. You don’t clean your toothbrush
Rinsing the toothbrush after each use is not enough to clean it thoroughly. You should always remove excess water from the brushes before drying the handle and store it in an upright position.
Remove the head if you also use an electric toothbrush; This will prevent the remaining toothpaste between the parts from drying out.
You should disinfect your toothbrush regularly to kill bacteria. You can do this by submerging your head in antibacterial mouthwash or in a solution of 1/2 cup of water with two tablespoons of distilled white vinegar and one teaspoon of baking soda. Leave for 15 minutes in the water or 30 minutes in the vinegar solution.
Try incorporating this into your regular cleaning routine and disinfect your toothbrush once a week.
