As children, we all learn how to brush our teeth. Make sure you brush twice a day: once in the morning and once before bed. Although you may think you're doing a great job with oral care basics, a toothbrush is a technique-sensitive instrument. Most people do not really know how to use one of the most ubiquitous self-care tools. Education is important for good dental health.
Soft Bristles One Area At a Time
A good brush is the first step to effective brushing. We recommend an electric toothbrush, but a manual toothbrush can be just as effective. It just needs to have soft bristles. You can damage your enamel, as well as your gum tissue, with medium and hard bristle toothbrushes. It won't show right away, but toothbrush abrasion can develop over time with hard brushes and abrasive toothpaste. The mouth is divided into four quadrants in dentistry. Upper right, upper left, lower right, and lower left. Quadrant brushing is a great way to make sure you're not skipping any spots, and that you give each area enough time. You could also do outside surfaces on top, then inside surfaces, then outside and inside surfaces at the bottom. It's up to you! Make sure you do the full two minutes by aiming for thirty seconds per area.
Small Strokes and Angles
Angles make a significant difference. Plaque tends to form in the crevice where your gums meet your teeth. Try holding your brush at a 45-degree angle toward the gumline, both on the cheek side and on the tongue side to ensure they get into the gum line and do their best work. Point the bristles straight into the grooves on those back teeth for chewing surfaces. You may find that vertically orienting your toothbrush helps clean the narrow areas on your front teeth. Especially in crowded areas, those narrow areas can be tricky. Vertical brushing helps. Even though you may feel you're scrubbing hard to get things clean, remember you're not scrubbing grout! Almost like polishing a tooth at a time, use short, gentle strokes. When you have stirred up bacteria and food debris with a few jiggles in one spot, use your toothbrush to sweep it away from your gums. It only takes one or two vertical strokes to pull bacteria away from the gums. Now, move to the next few teeth!
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Dr. Frank Sioda 18676 Willamette Dr. Suite 202 West Linn, OR 97068-1718
Dental Blog | Dentist West Linn | ZenTech Dentistry Dr. Frank Sioda of ZenTech Dentistry has created this informative blog to help educate the community about a variety of dental topics. Learn more here. ZenTech Dentistry - Frank K. Sioda, DMD, PC, 18676 Willamette Dr., Suite 202, West Linn, OR 97068-1718, (503) 765-9699, zentechdentistry.com, 10/6/2024, Page Terms:dentist West Linn,
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As children, we all learn how to brush our teeth. Make sure you brush twice a day: once in the morning and once before bed. Although you may think you're doing a great job with oral care basics, a toothbrush is a technique-sensitive instrument. Most people do not really know how to use one of the most ubiquitous self-care tools. Education is important for good dental health.