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Toothbrushing Mistake No. 5

Toothbrushing Mistake No. 5

Orthodontics

Tooth brushing Mistake No.5: “Not Brushing Correctly”

Did you ever think there was a better way to brush your teeth? Do you just whisk around your mouth and teeth with a toothbrush with a dab of fluoridated toothpaste on it? There is more to teeth brushing than that. For a start, you should position your toothbrush at a 45o angle to your gum line and then brush your teeth in a diagonal motion – not just up and down – as this does little to remove all that damaging plaque and clinging bacteria. You should also ensure that you manipulate your toothbrush onto the inner sides of your upper and lower teeth as well as the easy to reach front lower and upper teeth.

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Toothbrushing Mistake No. 4

Toothbrushing Mistake No. 4

Orthodontics

Tooth brushing Mistake No.4: “Brushing Too Often or Too Hard”

Research conducted at a leading U.S. university identified that there was no real evidence that brushing teeth extra hard with a toothbrush led to cleaner and whiter teeth. In fact, the opposite was found to be true.  Brushing too hard could well damage the layer on the surface of the teeth that would otherwise protect the teeth. Damage to the gums could also occur as well. A scientific method was designed that discovered that while brushing for the recommended 120 seconds, the pressure that should be applied by the toothbrush should be equal to an average sized orange. It was found that if the pressure went beyond this, the amount of plaque remaining on the teeth was about the same.

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Toothbrushing Mistake No. 3

Toothbrushing Mistake No. 3

Orthodontics

Tooth brushing Mistake No.3: “Not Brushing Often Enough or Long Enough”

How many of us take teeth brushing so seriously that we count the minutes or seconds every time we go through the routine. I wouldn’t think that too many of us have a stopwatch at hand for that purpose. Maybe we should. The American Dental Association firmly advises the American public to adhere to the 120 second rule every time one of us dabs our toothbrush with toothpaste. It is not simply the seconds we count throughout our daily brush but the number of times a day the stopwatch is set matters too. Twice daily is the expected frequency these days although some over exuberant people might even get around to three times daily.

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Toothbrushing Mistake No. 2

Toothbrushing Mistake No. 2

Orthodontics

Tooth brushing Mistake No.2: “Not Picking the Right Bristles”

Toothbrush bristles come in a variety of forms and are designed for a variety of purposes. Many dentists have a preference for soft bristled toothbrushes and if any of their patients have sensitive teeth or gums, there are extra-soft bristles available too. Softer bristles are kinder to the teeth and if used correctly can do a good job at removing stubborn food particles and cleaning the surface of teeth so that plaque has a more difficult time at adhering to the teeth’s surfaces.  Some individuals prefer the softer bristle varieties while others who do not have sensitive teeth or gums may choose a toothbrush with firmer bristles. Whatever we choose or prefer, the experts still recommend using a toothbrush with soft bristles or one with extra soft bristles.

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