Brushing Your Teeth

How well are you doing at brushing your teeth? It isn’t that hard, right? Squeeze a little toothpaste on the bristles, scrub your teeth a little bit, and you are on your way to work, school or bed. Nothing to it. Actually, that isn’t quite the case. Believe it or not, while brushing your teeth is not the most complex thing you will have to do today, there is a right way to do it.

First, make sure that you can reach every part of your mouth with your toothbrush. The bristles should be in good shape. If they aren’t, and you’ve had your toothbrush for more than three months, it is time for a new one.

At the very least, you should brush your teeth twice a day. If you want to brush your teeth after you eat, wait for thirty minutes to allow the saliva in your mouth time to wash away the acids that are leftover from your food. If you brush while the acid is still present, you can damage your teeth.

Are you brushing your teeth long enough? To do an effective job, you should spend no less than two minutes brushing. You may have to time yourself for a while to make sure you are brushing for the full two minutes. You may be surprised at how little time you are taking to clean your teeth.

Hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to your teeth, and when you brush, include your gums. Brush the fronts and backs of your teeth, and the biting and chewing surfaces. To clean the inside of your front teeth, hold your toothbrush vertically and brush with short strokes. Your tongue harbors bacteria that cause bad breath. You should include it in your brushing routine.

If you have questions about effective oral hygiene, if you are looking for a dentist for you and your family, or if it is just time for your regular cleaning and checkup, come see our dentist, Dr. Sam Cigno. If you would like to make an appointment at Bellefontaine Family Dental in St. Louis, Missouri call 314-741-5133 today.