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A human normally has 32 teeth. By the time we reach age thirteen, we have all the teeth: 8 incisors, 4 canines, 8 premolars and 8-12 molars, but the problems are just beginning. Most people smoke, eat cake and chocolate, drink soda, and skip dental appointments. Yet most importantly, many people do not know how to brush their teeth properly.
Which toothbrush is better: a conventional or an electric one? What should the toothpase contain? Is dental floss and an irrigator necessary? How do you hold a toothbrush?
What should toothpaste contain?
The key factor is fluoride, which reduces the risk of caries and strengthens tooth enamel. In addition to reducing tooth sensitivity, anti-germ, and whitening active ingredients may be found in toothpastes. The most controversial matter isn’t the fluoride, but the abrasive particles that remove plaque and stains by physically wearing away at the enamel and polishing the teeth.
To avoid scratching the teeth and wearing out the enamel and dentin, abrasive particles should not be too large, hard and sharp. Abrasives like sand or crushed cuttlefish bones, which were used before 1900, are poor choices. Therefore, there is now a standard for abrasiveness – < 250 RDA (relative dentin abrasivity). A toothpaste with a lower RDA is sometimes recommended because they are supposedly safer and wear your teeth less. This recommendation is not supported by any evidence. As an example, the American Dental Association (ADA), which created the RDA scale, recommends using any paste with an abrasiveness below 250 RDA.
Regular or electric toothbrushes are better?
If you have orthodontic appliances in your mouth like braces, an electric toothbrush is better at removing plaque and making it easier to clean your teeth. It is also convenient for people with disabilities. Technique is more important than brush type. Therefore, choose one that is comfortable for you to brush your teeth thoroughly, carefully, and for a long time (ideally, two minutes).
How do you choose a regular toothbrush?
Make sure your brush is soft: that’s the most important thing. Brushing your teeth twice a day and doing it right will eliminate plaque, so there is no need for extra hard bristles. Softness reduces the risk of injuring teeth and gums.
It is best if the toothbrush head is small, only about 2 to 2.5 cm long. It should have a flexible neck. However, this rule is not universal, like the softness of the bristles. The most important thing is that you feel comfortable holding the brush and brushing your teeth with it.
A variety of bristle designs can be found: straight cut (the most common), crossed (criss-cross system), zigzag, or interspersed with plastic bristles. There is some evidence that crossed bristles remove plaque slightly better. Plastic bristles have not been compared with regular bristles in studies. Experts, however, fear that both they and the criss-cross system may damage gums and enamel if applied too harshly. It might be better to choose straight-cut classic bristles.
How about small brushes with curved handles?
Single-beam brushes are designed for pinpointing enamel and removing dense plaque near the gum line, which a conventional brush cannot achieve. Not everyone needs such brushes, but those with braces and crowns do. While brushing your teeth, hold them so that the bristles fan out around the neck of the tooth.
When should you change your toothbrush?
As soon as you notice signs of wear. However, even if you can’t see them, you should change your brush (or head if you use an electric brush) every three months.
What should I do if I don’t have a brush or toothpaste at hand?
Use fluoride mouthwash. Although it does not replace a full cleanse, it will give you a feeling of freshness and remove some of the bacteria.
In general, mouthwash can be an excellent addition to regular brushing, as it provides access to places that are difficult to reach with a brush and paste. A cosmetic rinse (the kind you find on the supermarket shelf) can temporarily remove bad breath. The use of therapeutic (available at pharmacies) can kill bacteria, relieve gum inflammation (gingivitis), and control plaque and cavities. It’s best to use it, but choose it together with the dentist.
Does toothpaste need to be rinsed after brushing?
After brushing, you do not need to rinse your mouth with water. Allow the fluorine in the paste to linger on the enamel so that it can provide protection. Spit out any extra paste. You can at least do this in the evening before you go to bed.
How about cleaning the tongue? If yes, with what?
Bacteria that cause cavities can also be found on the tongue. However, there is no evidence that everyone needs to clean it. Study with 251 subjects found that brushing the tongue helps to get rid of bad breath – halitosis. However, there is no specific data on how often and for how long to clean the tongue, or what technique to use.
Some manufacturers offer tongue scrapers that do not cause a gag reflex, and recommend cleaning your tongue twice a day after brushing your teeth. To begin, clean your tongue’s roots, where most bacteria accumulate. Start from the root of the tongue and draw to its tip, then move to the right and left side surfaces, using gentle pressure.
Is flossing necessary?
It is debatable. A brush can remove only 60% of the waste: the interdental spaces cannot be reached by it, and a lot of waste remains. Therefore, a tool for cleaning the interdental spaces is definitely necessary.
Does it have to be flossing? Several experts believe that floss is an outdated method, it is ineffective, and if used incorrectly, it can damage gums and teeth. Instead of flossing, you can use an interdental brush or a water irrigator.
Flossing is still recommended by American dentists. You should floss once a day, before or after brushing your teeth. You should be aware that if you’re just starting to floss, the first week will be uncomfortable and your gums might bleed. When you use floss, you injure an overgrown gum. With proper oral hygiene, this tissue will not be present, so the discomfort will soon disappear.
Is everyone in need of an irrigator?
First, it is necessary for people with orthodontic constructions, such as braces or implants, for those who have wisdom teeth that aren’t trimmed and the space between their teeth is too small to use dental floss, and for those with disabilities. It is not unwise to use irrigator if the gums are sensitive and bleed when using dental floss.
Some studies claim floss cleans between teeth better, while others claim an irrigator does the job. So the choice between floss and irrigator is more about convenience. It is possible to use both at the same time: this is the best method of removing plaque between the teeth.
How long and how often should you brush your teeth?
You should brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes. Taking this amount of time is the standard recommendation – this is how much time it takes to clean all the necessary surfaces. The study shows, however, that two minutes of brushing can remove an average of 41% of plaque. Sadly, not all. A minute only achieves 27% cleanup.
Do you brush your teeth before or after breakfast?
Better after: the less food debris, bacteria, and saliva on the enamel, the lower the risk of developing oral diseases. Just don’t brush your teeth right after breakfast (or any other meal). It is imperative for you to rinse your mouth with water, wait an hour (or at least 30 minutes) and then start cleaning. Particularly if you drank coffee or ate grapefruit: acidic foods make the enamel more vulnerable; cleaning can destroy it. If you do not have time to take a long break between breakfast and oral hygiene (for example, you have to run to work), brush your teeth before breakfast.
What amount of toothpaste do you need?
One pea is enough. Don’t apply too much toothpaste to your brush to avoid exposure to fluoride.
How do you brush your teeth with a regular brush?
Hold the toothbrush at a 45° angle to the gum line. Plaque and bacteria usually hide in the gum sulcus. In order to get rid of them more effectively, the brush head should be angled slightly towards the furrow. The angle will be 45°.
By sweeping your brush back and forth, you should brush your teeth in short, circular strokes. Moving up and down is a common mistake. Don’t brush your teeth too hard: it won’t make them any cleaner, but will increase the risk that your teeth will grow hypersensitive and your gums will bleed. Here is an example video showing the correct technique.
Pay attention first to the outer surface of the teeth, than the inner, finally to the chewing surfaces. For a thorough cleaning of the inner surface of the front teeth (it is too hard to reach, hence treat it separately after the chewing surfaces), change the angle and movements: hold the brush vertically and make forward-down movements – this is how it should be done. At the end, clean your tongue. A brush will suffice in the absence of a special scraper.
Right or left hand for brushing your teeth?
Try brushing your teeth with the left hand on your right and with the right hand on your left. In this way, the toothbrush may be held at just the right angle, and the pressure on the teeth will be evenly distributed. However, if it interferes with the use of the correct brushing method, let there be one: the most dexterous hand: technique is more important.
When using an electronic toothbrush, how should you brush your teeth?
The toothbrush should be held at a 45° angle, just as with a manual toothbrush. The action is much simpler: all you need to do is move from tooth to tooth. Brush along the front surfaces, then brush along the back and chewing surfaces, and finally brush the gum line and clean the tongue. Brush each tooth slowly and for a few seconds. Essentially, the procedure takes the same amount of time as a manual one: two minutes. A timer may even be set on your e-brush for this period.
What is the proper way to floss?
You will need 45cm of floss. Wrap most of it around your fingers, leaving 5 cm for cleaning. Place the floss between your thumb and forefinger and move it up and down between your teeth: down on one side and up on the other.
Don’t push too hard. It’s best to move lightly and evenly, otherwise you could accidentally injure the gum. Floss from tooth to tooth using a new piece of floss every time. Finish brushing the floss and pull it out using the same up and down motion. Here is a video that demonstrates the technique.
If your teeth are clean, how can you tell?
Take your tongue and run it over the surface of your teeth; it should be smooth. If some of the teeth are still rough, give them extra attention until they are completely clean.
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