Mistakes to Avoid When Brushing Teeth

Written by Egbodo Peter.

Considering how often we brush our teeth (twice a day hopefully), it’s surprising how many things we may be doing wrong, or not doing at all.

Perhaps over time, we pick up bad habits which eventually become routine. Nevertheless, it’s important to ensure your teeth, gums and mouth are looked after properly. This doesn’t just mean brushing your teeth often enough, but properly too.

Here are a few common mistakes people tend to make when brushing their teeth:

Not Brushing Teeth Often

Let’s begin with the most apparent. It is recommended that you clean your teeth twice a day. It’s best to do this once in the morning and once before bed.

You should aim for about two minutes each time you brush. It takes 45 seconds on average for people to brush their teeth, though. Because there isn’t enough time for the fluoride to bind to the tooth enamel, your teeth are less resistant to food particles and infections. When brushing your teeth, it’s worth timing yourself, maybe while using your phone or enjoying some music. You might be surprised at first by how long two minutes seem to be. If so, you probably weren’t brushing for a sufficient amount of time in the first place.

Brushing Too Often

Though it might be counterproductive, over-brushing your teeth is a less common mistake than not brushing enough.

You may have heard that brushing your teeth after every meal is vital, but in addition to being unneeded, it can irritate and harm your gums and erode the enamel on your teeth. This also applies to tooth brushing sessions longer than two minutes.

Brushing Technique

When it comes to tooth brushing, there are a few common mistakes people make.

The best way to wash your teeth is to use circular strokes that are forceful but gentle. Make sure to cover every surface of each tooth by concentrating on it separately. The soft tissue that lies between your teeth and gums can be eroded by brushing in an up-and-down and side-to-side motion. Circular brushing is substantially softer. In order to maximize the bristles’ ability to clean the teeth and gum line, you should also hold the brush at a 45-degree angle.

Another common problem is that many people tend to brush their teeth too hard, damaging the outer surface of the teeth and irritating the gums.

Using A Hard Toothbrush

Stronger brushes can scratch away at the enamel that protects your gums. Go for a toothbrush with softer bristles if you’d rather use one by hand.Nonetheless, using an electric toothbrush is one technique to combat this. People usually apply more pressure while using a manual. We feel we don’t need to exert as much pressure when using an electric brush because of the vibrations; instead, we may let the brush handle the job.

Not Replacing The Brush Often Enough

If you brush your teeth twice a day, every day, then you should be aiming to use a new brush, or brush head, every three months. This is roughly 200 uses. After this time, the bristles begin to wear down and become less effective at removing dirt from your teeth. Also, after a while, dirt and bacteria will begin to accumulate on the brush, which is why it’s important to replace it.

Brushing Teeth Just After Eating

Once you’ve just finished eating, the saliva in your mouth is more acidic due to a drop in Ph levels. It’s important to wait for 30 minutes after eating before brushing your teeth. This is enough time for the Ph levels in your mouth to return to normal. Otherwise, you’d be brushing the acidic saliva into your teeth enamel, which is damaging.

Rinsing Mouth With Water After Brushing

Another very common mistake people make is rinsing their mouth with water just as they’ve finished brushing their teeth. Once you’ve finished brushing your teeth, the effects don’t take place instantly. Time is needed for the fluoride contained in toothpaste to soak into the teeth.If you are still tempted to rinse, you should use a mouthwash which contains fluoride instead of water.

There we have it. It’s easy to get caught into a habit of something when we do it often enough. If you can make a conscious effort to avoid making these mistakes, you’ll have a new, perfect routine in no time.