Five Things You Might Be Doing Wrong When Brushing Your Teeth

Brushing your teeth regularly is great, but making basic mistakes can undo some of the benefits.

Brushing your teeth both morning and night is the bedrock of good oral health care. There are other factors that will improve this too of course, including a more tooth friendly diet and the use of dental floss, plus regular monitoring by one of our Chelmsford dentists. Without brushing our teeth, we are setting ourselves up for problems like tooth decay and gum disease so regular brushing is essential. Even if you already do this though, and we hope that you all do, there is always room for improvement.

In today’s Blue Sky Dental blog, we are going to take a look at some common errors that people make when brushing their teeth. These are all very simple to rectify and just these few small changes could make a big difference to the health of your teeth and gums.

1 – Brushing too hard

One common error is that some people feel the need to brush their teeth really hard, almost as though they were ‘scrubbing’ them to get them whiter. This is probably more likely in people who have noticed a deterioration in the colour of their teeth. Unfortunately, this is unlikely to improve the situation and if you are worried about the way that your teeth look, we have a range of cosmetic dentistry that can help you achieve this successfully, so please call us to see how we can help you.

Not only will brushing too hard not whiten your teeth but it can wear away the tooth enamel and you may well end up with sensitive teeth as well as an increased risk of tooth decay. Finally, some people brush harder because the bristles on their brush are worn down. Please don’t do this and for the most effective way to keep your teeth clean, change your brush (or brush head) every three months to ensure healthy bristles.

2 – Brushing too soon

Especially if we have just eaten something that is very high in sugar, we may think it a good idea to remove it as soon as possible by brushing our teeth straight away. As the enamel on our teeth softens just after eating, this can cause premature enamel erosion and, as above, the risk of sensitive teeth and tooth decay is increased. You should leave any brushing after eating for around half an hour or more. If you do feel that your teeth are coated with sugar immediately after eating and want to do something about it, we suggest that you vigorously swill your mouth with water. This will help to remove some of the sugars and help to dislodge some of the food particles that may have become trapped between the teeth and around the gum line.

3 – Using the wrong toothpaste

This is one that most of you are probably doing correctly but it is still worth checking to make sure that you are.  Most major brands of toothpaste already contain fluoride, an essential ingredient in the protection of your teeth. Not all toothpastes will do so though and, especially if you buy yours from a health shop or similar, do make sure to check that it contains fluoride. If it doesn’t, you run the risk of tooth decay caused by weaker tooth enamel. Another potential issue is where tooth whitening toothpastes are used. Aside from the fact that these are not very effective due to only a small amount of active whitening ingredient being allowed in these products, some also contain additional abrasive ingredients which could damage the teeth if used over zealously. If you are wanting to whiten your teeth, please contact Blue Sky Dental for information on how we can help you.

4 – Rinsing after brushing

This one is a common mistake and probably stems from advice we were given when younger to rinse our mouth with water after brushing our teeth. As mentioned earlier, most toothpastes contain fluoride which works to strengthen the tooth enamel and protect your teeth. If we rinse immediately after brushing, much of this will be washed away. Try to remember not to rinse your mouth after brushing your teeth for at least half an hour and just spit after brushing, leaving the fluoride to do its work in protecting the tooth enamel.

5 – Snacking after your night time brushing

This one is a logical one but one that we sometimes fail to do without really thinking about it. It makes sense not to eat or drink anything after you brush your teeth at night as it will then remain there overnight and start to create acids that attack the teeth. Even a glass of milk will do this as it contains sugars. Sucking cough sweets after brushing your teeth is a bad idea too. Ideally, you should let nothing pass your lips after your night time tooth brushing other than plain water.

These are all very simple things that we can easily put into action in our daily life, but they are also often habits that we have fallen into and habits can be hard to break. You could try to put up a notice to remind you that you will see when you brush your teeth. Over time, these will become your new habits and your teeth and gums will be all the better for it.

If you need any advice about the health of your teeth or their appearance, our Chelmsford dental team are here to help you. For this, or to make an appointment to see a dentist or hygienist, please call Blue Sky Dental today on 01245 211070.