Common Mistakes

(click here to see the Brushing Mistakes 1)

(click here to see the Brushing Mistakes 2)

The problem with back and forth motions is that it tends to miss the gums. Your not just brushing your square shaped teeth, you are wanting to brush the semi-circular area where the gums and the teeth meet. Brushing in small circles helps to reach that area and ensure your cleaning properly.

If you have an acidic drink like coca-cola, or food with lots of acid (example: lemon, vinegar) or recently vomited (morning sickness) you risk brushing that acid around your mouth and possibly eroding some tooth structure. Therefore it is best to wait 30 minutes or so to allow the saliva to buffer your mouths acidic environment. It might be a good idea to also rinse with some salt water solution, milk or plain water before brushing to help neutralise your mouths acidic environment

Often people get a large toothbrush head to be more efficient, however this no the case; as you often miss spots where this large toothbrush head can not reach. This is especially the case on lower teeth on the tongue side as well as the cheek side of upper wisdom teeth. Smaller head toothbrushes help you to reach these areas

Abrasive toothpastes (that contain ingredients like charcoal) or whitening toothpastes can result in sensitivity especially if you have exposed dentine (the second layer of teeth) this can make it painful to have cold drinks. Talk more with your oral health practitioner about the right toothpaste for you.

Often people use a hard bristle toothbrush because they want to scrub the bacteria away off the tooth structure. The intention is great but unfortunately, usually you have a hard brushing technique and in fact you end up removing tooth structure as well. As a result using a soft to medium bristle brush is often adequate. If you want to see if you brush hard grab an extra soft toothbrush and see how long it lasts. If it is less than a few weeks before you see worn down bristles you may need to adjust how hard you are brushing because it is too hard.

Bristles generally wear down after 2-3 months of use. Once they have worn down they are not as effective as the bristles have now spread out. It is like using a broom missing half the bristles the sweeping ability will be extremely hindered. Therefore it is advised that you replace your toothbrush everytime you notice that the bristles have worn down too much to ensure that you are brushing effectively.

By rinsing throughout brushing you are essentially diluting the toothpaste just like how you would dilute cordial in water. This is not want we want as this decreases the amount of fluoride available for the tooth to absorb and form a structure that can help protect against decay. As result it is advised that you rinse only at the start and only spit throughout brushing. Spit not rinse. This will avoid washing away the toothpaste.

Just like rinsing your mouth with water while you brush washes away the toothpaste so to is using mouthwash immediately after brushing. You often wash away the toothpaste. Most mouthwash has less fluoride then the toothpaste, therefore it is better to have the toothpaste there. It takes time for the fluoride to be absorbed by the tooth structure. The longer you wait to rinse the better chance the tooth can take up the fluoride and form a stronger tooth structure.

Techniques

Brushing Technique
(click here to see the picture above)

When brushing remember the acronym G.P.S. Which stands for Gums, Planning, and Slowly. Starting with gums hold the bristle brush at 45 degrees between the tooth and gums. Then flick up away from the gums. If you have a manual toothbrush do gentle circle motions. However, if you have an electric 2D or 3D toothbrush these perform the circlular motion for you so just gently hold it there at 45 degrees. The next step is to make sure you have a plan to prevent you from missing spots. Do not forget to do the tongue to remove bacteria that is living on it and help against bad breath. Next step is to brush slowly for at least 2 minutes twice a day. It is important that you do not do any harsh horizontal back and forth scrubbing strokes.

Flossing Technique (Floss like a Boss)
(click here to see the picture above)

1. Wrap approximately 40cm of floss around your middle fingers. This allows your index finger and thumb to be used as controllers
2. Use a gentle sawing motion to get the floss through where the two teeth meet. Then slowly perform an up and down motion
3. Do not forget your gums. Gradually move towards the gums wrapping the floss around the tooth in a "C" shape moving up and down. Repeat this on the neighbouring tooth. You should feel the motion along and under your gums, but it should not be painful. It is like pushing up under the cuticle on your finger nails
4. Use a fresh segment of the same floss for the next section of teeth. Floss daily. Night is a good option as you have more time and removes bacterial debris before you go to sleep.