Published in January 2020. 

The “Right Way” to Brush Your Teeth

Mornings are busy. Sometimes it may feel like there isn’t enough time to take care of your oral health. In fact, most people don’t even reach the recommended two minutes of brushing, nevermind applying the proper technique. Yes, you read that right, there is a right way to brush your teeth, and we at Sandhurst Family Dental are here to show you how:  

The highlights:

1. The trick is to use circular strokes around the surfaces of your teeth–not sideways like in the commercials. If you want to cover the teeth that face the outside of your mouth, it’s best to angle your brush around 45 degrees. This will increase control you have on the brush, and minimize gum damage.
2. Next, reach for the surfaces of your teeth that face your tongue. Here you can use short back and forth strokes. Don’t forget about the back teeth as well.
3. Brush the tops of your teeth with short, back and forth strokes. 
4. Another important technique you want to master is how much pressure you apply when brushing. When using your toothbrush, use it hard enough to clean your teeth but not hard enough to damage the enamel.

This Colgate recommended routine goes into these brushing best practices in greater detail. So it is a great help if you want to make sure you’ve brushed every spot in your mouth.

There are frequently missed places in the mouth as well. The tongue and the roof of your mouth are two perfect examples as they are bacterial breeding grounds. The tongue and particularly the roof of your mouth are fairly sensitive so it might be hard adjusting a brush to those surfaces, but missing your tongue is often a cause for bad breath. It is also important to avoid brushing along your gums too forcefully. That area is sensitive. You should take extra precautions around any crowns or fillings as well, especially because of the damage that bacteria can do to already sensitive teeth.

Your teeth are a huge part of yourself, treat them right and more importantly follow the right way to brush your teeth.

Want to see how your brushing technique has improved? Book your appointment today