Brushing your way to healthy teeth
Brushing our teeth has always been drilled into our minds since a young age. If you wanted, perfect, straight teeth, daunting visits to the dentist were best avoided and to do this, it meant looking after our oral hygiene.
Yet, at some point we find ourselves back in the dentist’s chair, hoping for a quick fix.
The Invisalign Doctor has suggested a few tips and tricks to brushing your way to healthy teeth.
- Choose the right toothbrush
This may seem obvious, but all too often many of us do not know whether our toothbrush is the right fit for our mouth.
A toothbrush comes in a variety of size, quality and function. Whether you have a manual or automatic toothbrush there is a technique that you need to master, that is once you have the right sized head with the friendly bristles.
Large brushes are not ideal if they do not help you brush every area of your mouth, smaller heads are more convenient because they brush away germs in small areas of the mouth and are great for reaching the back of the mouth.
When purchasing a new toothbrush ensure the bristles are soft, hard brushes cause damage to the tooth enamel.
- Pick the best toothpaste
Always pay attention to the kind of toothpaste you are buying. If you have sensitive teeth, be mindful to buy toothpaste for sensitive teeth.
If you have specific problems with your teeth, like gum disease, cavities or stained teeth it is best to seek advice from a dentist or hygienist.
Fluoride toothpaste helps remove plaque and strengthen tooth enamel. When applying the toothpaste to your brush, ensure you are using only a pea-sized amount, too much can cause harm to your health if swallowed.
- Keep practicing the technique
You wake up in the morning, grab your toothbrush and start brushing in a straight line, quickly give the front and back a good brush and you’re already rinsing your mouth out.
STOP.
You’re doing it all wrong. When you brush your teeth, you should be using circular motions at a 45-degree angle. Be gentle on your teeth and don’t press too hard. You must also make sure you are giving you brushing routine time and care; you should be spending at least three minutes brushing your teeth. And don’t forget to floss!
- Floss Floss Floss
How many of you floss your teeth? Not many of us do. Flossing is just as important as brushing your teeth. It makes sure that you have targeted every part of your mouth.
During the whole day our mouth builds up bacteria, and food particles get trapped in between our teeth, even tiny particles that are not visible. But, no doubt they are there – which is why it’s important to floss and get into those gaps to get rid of pesky bacteria.