How to Brush Your Teeth More Effectively

by | Jul 1, 2021 | Dental Care

Brushing your teeth may be the most important part of your dental care regimen. Dentists typically recommend you brush your teeth after each meal or three times a day. That’s a lot of time spent brushing your teeth so it’s important to know the best way to go about it! Here’s how to brush your teeth more effectively to ensure the best results for your time and effort.

What’s the Purpose of Brushing?

Before we explain how to brush your teeth more effectively, let’s talk about why brushing your teeth is important. Tooth brushing helps to clear away food particles and plaque that can harbor bacteria and cause tooth decay, gum disease and other serious dental problems.

Brushing your teeth also helps to clean along your gum line and massage your gums, which can help prevent gum disease like gingivitis and increase circulation to improve the health of your gum tissue.

Proper Brushing Technique Explained

Now that we’ve covered why brushing is important, let’s discuss proper brushing technique. It’s quite simple actually:

First, start by wetting your toothbrush and putting a pea-sized amount of toothpaste on your toothbrush. Hold the toothbrush so that the bristles of the toothbrush are at a 45 degree angle to the surface of your teeth. Gently brush side to side, up and down and in circular strokes to help ensure that the bristles reach as much surface area of your teeth as possible. Make sure to brush the outer surface of your teeth along with the inner side and top surfaces of your molars. It’s recommended that you set a timer for two minutes to ensure sufficient time is spent on every area of the mouth.

If you use an electric toothbrush, there are tooth brushing apps available designed for all ages to assist in brushing thoroughly by monitoring your brushstrokes and the length of time spent on specific areas. It’s a good tool that can give you pointers on how you can improve.

The Best Tools Equal the Best Results

How to brush your teeth more effectively also begins with using the right tools for your specific needs. Choose a soft-bristled toothbrush that is the right size to easily reach the farthest back molars when brushing. Replace it every 3 months, or sooner if the bristles fray, to ensure the bristles are the most effective at cleaning. Also be sure to use a toothpaste that contains fluoride to help remineralize and protect your teeth. You can also select toothpaste with additional active ingredients to assist with whitening, tartar control and sensitivity, if needed.

A Head Start on Brushing

When you’re committed to taking good care of your teeth by brushing well and regularly, it can be helpful to start by visiting the dentist for a professional cleaning to give you a head start on clean teeth and healthy gums.

It’s also important to continue to get a dental cleaning every 6 months or more often if your dentist recommends it due to any condition that affects your teeth or gums. Brushing daily is important, but even the best home dental care regimen can miss difficult to reach spots and an expert dental hygienist can ensure you’re getting the most out of your oral hygiene routine at home.

Call our El Paso Dental Office to make an appointment with a dentist who may be able to help you find out more about this topic, and improve your oral health.

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