5 Wrong Teeth Brushing Habits

Brushing the teeth is such a monotonous practice that people many times forget about the importance of performing it the right way.

Brushing for one minute is like no brushing at all; brushing without flossing afterwards again is not good; not brushing regularly has very little efficiency.

Here are a few of the brushing mistakes you should definitely avoid, in order to be able to maintain good oral health:

1. Not brushing for long enough  — around 80% of the people do not brush their teeth for more than a minute. However, experts warn that 1 minute is not enough in order to eliminate the entire bacterial film that resides within the mouth. A good tip would be to take a timer to the bathroom, and make sure you brush the teeth for at least 2 minutes.

2. Brushing without paying attention to what you are doing. Many experts agree that people who are right handed will tend to brush more the right side quadrant of the teeth, while left-handed people will put more emphasis on the left side quadrant.

It is important to brush all the areas in your mouth for about the same time length, and make sure to not neglect the area of the gum line because here you can find the most tartar and plaque buildup.

3. Brushing with side to side motion. This is a mistake, as with time you can actually hurt the enamel of your teeth with this “sawing” technique. Instead, make sure to follow circular motions with your brush, which are more efficient at cleansing the tooth surface without hurting the natural structure of tooth.

4. Exercising a lot of pressure- When you brush extremely hard, your enamel could get damaged. Moreover, if you have sensitive gums you can further cause severe irritation and even bleeding can occur. Be gentle while brushing, but make those motions energetically.

5. Using continuously whitening toothpastes. These toothpastes are indeed good at eliminating stain from the teeth, but they can get harsh on your enamel since they contain abrasive ingredients.

Make sure to alternate the toothpaste type/brand. Use the whitening toothpaste for 2 weeks, and then switch back to regular herb extract toothpaste for another 2 weeks.