The most basic skill you can learn for the sake of your oral health is properly brushing your teeth. As simple as it may seem, it takes more to keep your mouth clean than to rub a little toothpaste over your teeth for a couple minutes. Consider the following brushing tips to see what you might be doing wrong with your own routine:
- Brush at least twice a day, two minutes at a time. It’s best to do this after you wake up and before you go to sleep at night.
- Don’t brush for at least twenty minutes after you eat! The bacteria in your mouth is feeding off of your food and producing acid, which weakens your enamel. You want to let your teeth recover before brushing, or else you can strip this enamel away.
- Moisten your toothbrush and apply a thin layer of toothpaste.
- Hold your brush at a forty-five degree angle with your teeth, brushing in a circular motion instead of a sawing motion. When you brush behind your front teeth, try holding the brush vertically and pulling down against the tooth surface.
- Be gentle! Remember, if you’re brushing with a proper circular motion, you’re massaging your delicate gums as you go. Brushing too hard can erode your gums and leave you vulnerable to decay.
If you require any additional help with your brushing, contact our International District dentist.