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6 Toothbrushing Mistakes You Make Every Morning

6 Tooth Brushing Mistakes You Make Every Morning

 

1. You don’t clean at the right time of day. 
“Your toothbrush should be the last thing your teeth touch at night,” says Edmond R. Hewlett, D.D.S., a professor at the UCLA School of Dentistry. Snacking before you sleep significantly raises your risk for cavities if food stays lodged in between your teeth.
Your morning method is equally important: Protective saliva production slows down when you snooze, spurring the bacteria in your mouth to multiply even faster.
Brush twice a day for at least 2 minutes, making sure you spend 30 seconds on each quadrant (your upper left teeth, your upper right teeth, and so on).
2. You use the wrong brush.
Pick a soft bristle toothbrush that can slip under your gum tissue and dislodge any plaque stuck there, Dr. Hewlett recommends. If the plaque isn’t removed, you increase your risk of developing gum disease.
Brushing with a medium or hard model—and using excessive pressure—can cause your gums to recede and expose the surface of your roots, or the bottom of your teeth. Since the root surface isn’t as hard as the exposed enamel-covered part of your teeth, scrubbing this area can wear it away more easily and cause little cavities, Dr. Hewlett says.
3. You follow the wrong technique. 
A few straight strokes won’t get the job done. Position the handle of your brush so the bristles point at a 30- to 45-degree angle when they touch your gum tissue, Dr. Hewlett advises. Rotate your wrist in a circular motion to effectively remove the plaque, says Dr. Hewlett.
When you move behind your front teeth, you should turn your tool vertically to better reach the entire tooth. And make sure to give special attention to the back of your mouth, since that area normally hides the largest amount of plaque.
4. You don’t rinse.
Swallowing or spitting out your toothpaste doesn’t totally remove all the harmful stuff that you loosened while brushing. Use an alcohol-free mouthwash with hydrogen peroxide, suggests Pia Lieb, D.D.S., a cosmetic dentist in New York City.
Our picks: The acid-killing ACT Anticavity Fluoride ($5, drugstores) and Colgate Total Advanced Pro-Shield ($6, drugstores). If you don’t have any mouthwash handy, rinsing with water is better than nothing.

5. You ignore the rest of your mouth.
Your tongue traps harmful bacteria, too. Food or debris can easily get stuck in the crevices between the carpet-like strands, known as papillae, on the surface of your tongue. See

6. You don’t replace your brush. 
The ADA recommends buying a new brush every 3 or 4 months. (The average brush contains more than 10 million bacteria, according to a British study.) Worn bristles won’t effectively remove plaque or bacteria.
And if you’ve been sick, swap out your brush immediately. Residual bacteria and viruses from an illness can cling to the brush and potentially re-infect you.

The $1 Habit That Could Save You Hundreds In Dental Bills Could Save

This $1 Habit Could Save You Hundreds In Dental Bills

 

 

Even if you follow that standard rule of thumb—brush your teeth after breakfast and before bed—there’s still time for cavities to set in.
During that full 12 hours in between brushes, bacteria could mess with your teeth’s enamel. And that might lead to cavities, root canals, capped teeth, and maybe even dentures down the road. 

But researchers say a simple (and incredibly cheap!) trick could possibly save you hundreds, or maybe even thousands, in dental work. Their answer? Start chewing sugar-free gum.It’s the next best thing to brushing every time you eat.
In fact, a recent UK study about tooth decay found that the National Health Service, England’s public health system, could save more than 8 million pounds—the cost of more than 360,000 dental checkups—a year if every 12-year-old starting chewing gum after eating.

While the study was backed by the Wrigley Company, which sells gum, there’s still definitely something to it.
“Anything we can do to reduce the amount of acid and bacteria in your mouth will help prevent tooth decay,” says Matthew Messina, D.D.S., a spokesperson for the American Dental Association. “And that means less dental work over time.”
Eating or drinking anything (other than water, of course) leaves residue that feeds bacteria.
As bacteria eat the sugars that hang out in your mouth, they produce acids that then wear away your enamel.

Chewing gum not only loosens the bits of food that get stuck in your teeth, it also starts up your saliva glands and floods your mouth. The saliva washes over your teeth, picking up bacteria and acid as it goes, which you then swallow.

And there you go—you have less enamel-eating acid in your mouth.
For best results, Dr. Messina says, chew gum for at least 20 minutes after eating.
And make sure it’s sugar-free. Chewing gum that contains natural sugars will only fuel the bacteria.
Just remember—gum is a complement to your dental routine, not a replacement.

“There’s no better way to take care of your teeth than the usual brushing, flossing, and occasional check in with your dentist,” says Dr. Messina.

The article The $1 Habit That Can Save You Big Bucks Down The Road originally ran on Prevention.com.