Seattle General Dentist

Do you Know How to Brush Your Teeth? (You Might Be Surprised)

Have you been brushing your teeth the correct way? How would you know if you did or didn’t? By going to a Seattle general dentist, you can get this information because did you know that brushing incorrectly can lead to tooth and gum damage? Little kids are taught to brush their teeth everyday, but we sometimes do not teach them the proper way to brush. Here are a few tips on how to brush your teeth the proper way in case you don’t already know:

• Brush for 3-5 minutes. Some dentists will say 10 second a tooth, but this can be damaging to your gums. The longer you brush the more bacteria and plaque you loosen up. Bacteria in the mouth often times leads to plaque a hard substance that usually forms along the gum line. This plaque can be very dangerous and may even lead to tooth decay. However, if you brush in one spot for too long, you can irritate the gums and cause them to recede and sometimes there is pain involved. So, to be on the safe side, brush for at least five minutes at least twice a day.

• Your Seattle general dentist will advise you to brush at least twice a day, but for supreme results, it is best to brush after every meal. This way, you remove any chance of bacteria from growing, forming plaque and destroying your teeth and gums.

• When you are brushing your teeth, you want to brush in a circular motion to avoid irritating your gums and causing them to recede. Also, circular motion cleaning loosens the bacteria and plaque from your teeth more effectively. When you wax a car, it is recommended that you wax on and wax off using a circular motion. This prevents you from deteriorating the paint and creating small scratches on your paint job as well as prevents you from unevenly applying or removing the wax. Regarding your teeth, it is the same concept.

• Change your tooth brush every 2-3 months or when the bristles become worn. With an ineffective toothbrush, you are unable to remove the amount of bacteria you would normally remove with a new toothbrush.

• Find a comfortable toothbrush size and head type. Everyone’s mouth is different and you need to find one that is most comfortable. Also, if you find yourself cutting your inner cheeks and gums, you might want to go with a softer bristle type.

 

• Don’t forget to brush between your teeth and gums – the gum line. Plaque and bacteria form in this tiny crevice and with the bristles of your brush you should brush right into the gum line to remove the bacteria that are trapped inside and don’t forget, don’t brush to hard.

 

Of course, after brushing, you want to floss. Floss every day if you can. When you have food stuck in your teeth from eating a meal, you also want to floss it out because a bacterium breeds more bacteria. For more information regarding how to properly brush your teeth contact your local Seattle general dentist. Dr. Ronald Frost can provide you with answers to all your questions regarding your teeth and gums. Give him a call or contact him via his website.