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How to brush your teeth?

In this article, we will give you tips and tricks about the best way to brush your teeth. It is very essential for each and every one of us to brush our teeth at least twice a day. It is important to keep our mouth clean because all the food intake has to pass through the mouth. If teeth are not brushed properly, a yellow layer forms on them called plaque. Bacteria freezes on them and is passed down with whatever we eat or drink. It leads to several infections and diseases in our body.

Also, expensive dental check-ups have to be made if teeth are not brushed every day. They might get cavities or have to get their natural teeth removed which is a painful process. If not brushes every day, your teeth will fracture one day leaving you unable to eat and inviting other infections to your mouth. By brushing your teeth, you kill the bacteria living in your mouth and make your lifestyle healthier than ever. It saves you from catching a number of diseases and even protects you from viral infections which mostly host in unclean bodies. Hence, dentists stress upon brushing your teeth once at night and once in the morning to prevent it from being a house of bacteria and a store for food debris.

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How to brush your teeth with a manual toothbrush?

Brushing your teeth with a manual toothbrush is very easy and simple. Follow the following steps if you don’t know how to do it.

Time needed: 2 minutes

Follow these steps for an optimal brushing result.

  1. Gargle

    Take some clean, freshwater, put it in you mouth and gargle a couple of times.

  2. Clean toothbrush

    Grab your toothbrush and clean it once with the water.

  3. Apply toothpaste

    Now put pea-sized toothpaste on it. Make sure you don’t put too much toothpaste on your toothbrush it is unnecessary and bad for the environment.

  4. Brush angle

    Bring the toothbrush to your mouth, put it at a 45-degree angle and gently brush on your teeth in a circular motion.

  5. Brush slow and gentle

    Then move slowly and gently to each direction of your mouth, carefully covering all the teeth. It is important to be slow and gentle as being fast and rough might make your gums bleed and cause you pain.

  6. Brush backside of your teeth

    After you have cleaned all your teeth from the front side, up and down, carefully brush them from the back too. The backside is not visible but can host bacteria and store food debris. Make sure the bristles of your toothbrush reach all the areas of your mouth.

  7. Clean tongue

    From the back of your toothbrush, clean your tongue as well. It removes the bad odor from your mouth.

  8. Timing

    Take at least two minutes to perform the whole process and spit the toothpaste out when you are done.

  9. Clean toothbrush

    Wash your toothbrush neatly and place it somewhere away from germs and water.

These are the steps you must follow to have a clean mouth free of bacteria, food debris, and bad odor. It will make you more confident and your smile more vibrant. If the steps are not clear to you, please refer to your dentist for more explanation or request them to perform the process in front of you. 

How to brush your teeth with an electric toothbrush?

We have prepared a precise yet accurate guide on how to brush your teeth with an electric toothbrush. A lot of people are afraid of using electric toothbrushes as they do not know how-to, scroll down if you are one of them!

Step 1: Before you start brushing your teeth, please make sure that the electric toothbrush is fully charged. You wouldn’t want it to stop while you are brushing. There is a light indicator on top of most electric toothbrushes which signals when it is fully charged and when it is about to die.

Step 2: Turn your toothbrush on and start with the outer surface of your teeth. Hold the toothbrush for a second on each tooth and slowly guide it to the next, neatly following each tooth’s shape and curves.

Step 3: After you are done with brushing the outer surface of your teeth, now brush them the inner surface, carefully following each curve of all of your teeth. Brush the chewing surfaces of your teeth as well.

Step 4: Now direct the toothbrush on your gums. Slowly and gently brush over them. Remember to not be harsh as gums are extremely soft and sensitive. They can start to bleed anytime you are harsh on them. Do NOT press hard.

Step 5: Brush along your tongue and the roof of your mouth when you are done with the steps above. Brush from back to front, it will remove bad odor from your mouth.

Step 6: When done, put your toothbrush at a safe place away from dust and water to keep it clean and tidy.

This was our six-stepped guide on how to brush your teeth with an electric toothbrush, we hope that you liked it and it helped to improve your brushing experience.

How long should you brush your teeth?

You should only brush your teeth for two minutes every time you brush them. Brushing them for more than two minutes twice a day may damage them. It will hurt your gums, make them bleed and be harmful to your tooth enamel, which is a protective layer on your teeth. Dentists recommend that you follow the 2/2 rule which is to brush your teeth twice a day; once in the morning and once at night and each time, you should only brush them for two minutes to keep yourself away from any negative side effect of toothpaste or toothbrush. You have also special electric toothbrushes with a timer.

Common Mistakes

In this section of our blog, we will list down the majority of common mistakes all of us make while brushing our teeth.

Picking a wrong toothbrush

One of the most common mistakes people make is to pick a wrong toothbrush for themselves. You have to be careful while making a selection. There are toothbrushes with different kinds of bristles. If your gums are sensitive, you need to buy the one with extremely soft bristles. Even if you have strong gums, you are recommended to buy a toothbrush with soft bristles. Moreover, you need to make sure that the toothbrush you purchase is bendable so that it can reach every part of your mouth.

Brushing harder

A lot of people think that brushing harder will make their teeth look cleaner and remove plaque from it at once, but it’s a wrong conception. Brushing harder only damages your teeth. Brushing harder won’t make your brushing technique right. You must brush gently, in a circular motion and twice a day to make your mouth look cleaner.

Rushing

Most of us don’t spend the time recommended for brushing by the dentists. We rush the process especially during the morning as we fear we might get late. We should brush for two minutes, twice a day to make brushing effective.

Going back and forth

This a mistake we all have made in our life. We brush from left to right, covering each tooth, but this way is wrong. We should brush circularly, starting from our gums, going up and down on each tooth. This way the toothbrush can perform its functions better.

Forgetting the gum line

We often forget to brush the area where the gumline meets the teeth. Most of the bacteria are hidden there as well. Your bristles need to be soft and bendable for this. Remember that you are supposed to brush your whole tooth, each part and side of it.

Wrong Angle

People normally do not brush their teeth at the recommended angle of 45 degrees which is one of the reasons their brushing experience may not be efficient enough and they may not even know about it.

Remembering the tongue

While cleaning our mouth, people tend to forget one of the most important parts of the mouth; the tongue. It is important to brush alongside the tongue as well as it also acts as a store of bacteria in your mouth. Ofcourse you can also use a tongue scraper for that!

Brush efficiently

We know that most of us don’t brush carefully enough and end it in less than two minutes. According to the dentists, you should brush your teeth twice a day and make at least one of the times exceptionally well. You should take care of all the precautions and brush everywhere necessary.  

These were the most common mistakes made during brushing. We hope this section helped you recognize some of your mistakes and led you to work on them.

Tips and Tricks

Here are some tips and tricks to make your brushing experience smoother.

  1. Dentists recommend using fluoride toothpaste. It helps to prevent tooth decay.
  2. To improve your oral hygiene, floss daily to remove food debris from between your teeth.
  3. Do not consume a lot of sweet snacks of food or drinks high in acid or sugars.
  4. Visit your dentist every six months at the very least to get your teeth checked. Oral health is as important as physical health. Get your teeth professionally cleaned during the checkups so that all the debris is neatly removed and does not cause a problem for you in the future.

Find the right toothbrush

Below are some tips and tricks to help you find the best toothbrush for you. Keep scrolling to read.

  • Soft-bristled

While buying a toothbrush for yourself or your family, you have to make sure that the bristles of the toothbrush are made of the softest type of plastic available. Using a hard-bristles toothbrush can damage your mouth by making your gums bleed and removing tooth enamel from your teeth.

  • Non-slip handle

Before purchasing a toothbrush, make sure that its grip is non-slip so that it does not fall out of your hand while you are brushing. The grip should be comfortable to hold and a motivator to lead you to brush for two minutes. It should not make your hand feel weaker.

  • The shape of the head

The shape of the head usually depends on the shape of your mouth. You have to buy a toothbrush which suits your mouth and easily reaches and fits in all places. This way you will be able to brush and remove bacteria from all parts of your mouth efficiently.

Find the right toothpaste

Here are some tips and tricks to bur the right toothpaste for yourself. Scroll down!

  • American Dental Authority approved

To be sure that you are using a good quality toothpaste, you need to look out for the ADA seal on the toothpaste. ADA approved toothpaste is safe to use and efficient in their functions.

  • Cater to all your needs

You must buy a toothbrush which covers all your needs and demands. You know what kind of teeth you have and what sort of problems they face, make a purchase accordingly. If you do not know your teeth type and are confused about the toothbrush, please visit your dentist for a recommendation. There is toothpaste for sensitive teeth, anti-cavity, anti-gingivitis, whitening toothpaste and fluoride toothpaste to deal with your dental issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are you supposed to brush your gums?

Yes, you are supposed to brush your gums, but with extreme care and precautions. Brush them with a soft-bristled toothbrush softly. You also have to brush the area where the gumline meets your teeth. It has some bacteria on it too. Remember to not press your toothbrush hardly when it is on the gums as it can lead to bleeding.

Should you rinse after brushing your teeth?

No! Don’t rinse your mouth with water after you brush your teeth as it removes the fluoride on the teeth which still has to react on them to remove plaque and bacteria. You should only spit the toothpaste out. You can rinse your mouth after some minutes.

Is brushing your teeth three times a day too much?

According to the dentists, brushing your teeth two times a day is enough. However, if you think you do not brush efficiently enough, you may brush them thrice, but never more than that as it can damage tooth enamel.

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