Why use a Soft Toothbrush?
I have been asked recently why I always recommend soft-bristled toothbrushes to my patients. This is actually very important. Many people brush their teeth incorrectly. Yes there really is a right way, or at least a better way to keep those pearly whites sparkling clean. You can view a good tutorial on the proper way to brush here. Many people scrub their teeth in a horizontal motion which allows them to put too much pressure on the toothbrush and scrubs away their gums. When the gums are brushed too vigorously they will recede leaving part of the tooth's root exposed. Exposed roots are often sensitive to cold food and drinks, and are also unprotected from cavity causing acids.
So, what is the best way to brush your teeth?
Gentle but thorough.
The soft bristles are gentle and you want to use a soft touch while brushing. You don't want to press the toothbrush so hard against the teeth that the bristles splay open. But, you need to make sure that you are not missing any areas, so definitely brush for the entire 2 minutes recommended and be sure to brush the fronts, backs, and chewing surfaces of the teeth completely. You should also brush your tongue every time you brush your teeth (at least twice a day), to keep it free of bacteria and stain.
If you are switching from using a harder toothbrush, such as medium or hard,you will most likely feel that you are not getting your teeth clean enough. The soft bristles will feel too soft to you at first. I have come up with a good solution to this - I recommend that you brush without toothpaste for the first 2 minutes, then go back and put a pea-sized amount of toothpaste on your brush and brush around the mouth and tongue to get that fresh, minty feeling you crave. The fact is that you don't need toothpaste at all to get your teeth clean. The toothbrush bristles are what are truly cleaning your teeth, and the paste can actually cause a false sense of freshness where your teeth are not truly clean but because your mouth taste minty you think they are!
So now you know why everyone should be using a soft-bristled toothbrush. Now why does it seem that the stores only stock medium?! I suppose that is a question for another day.
So, what is the best way to brush your teeth?
Gentle but thorough.
The soft bristles are gentle and you want to use a soft touch while brushing. You don't want to press the toothbrush so hard against the teeth that the bristles splay open. But, you need to make sure that you are not missing any areas, so definitely brush for the entire 2 minutes recommended and be sure to brush the fronts, backs, and chewing surfaces of the teeth completely. You should also brush your tongue every time you brush your teeth (at least twice a day), to keep it free of bacteria and stain.
If you are switching from using a harder toothbrush, such as medium or hard,you will most likely feel that you are not getting your teeth clean enough. The soft bristles will feel too soft to you at first. I have come up with a good solution to this - I recommend that you brush without toothpaste for the first 2 minutes, then go back and put a pea-sized amount of toothpaste on your brush and brush around the mouth and tongue to get that fresh, minty feeling you crave. The fact is that you don't need toothpaste at all to get your teeth clean. The toothbrush bristles are what are truly cleaning your teeth, and the paste can actually cause a false sense of freshness where your teeth are not truly clean but because your mouth taste minty you think they are!
So now you know why everyone should be using a soft-bristled toothbrush. Now why does it seem that the stores only stock medium?! I suppose that is a question for another day.
posted by MJ | 1:37 PM
13 Comments:
Nice and cool advice. Most of the people brush incorrectly. Your tips will help them to brush properly. Thanks for the nice tips.
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Excellent advice by M. J. Most people use their brush incorrectly & doesn't know the effect of it on their tooth. Thank for nice tips.
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Very useful information / advice for using soft toothbrush. Thanks for information. This advice definitely useful for us.
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Using soft toothbrush when brushing teeth is really needed. This is a very nice blog. How about for people who have braces? Which type of toothbrush do you think is recommended? Thanks a lot.
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There are people who thought that bushing harder could make their teeth cleaner and healthier. My best friend who happened to be my classmate in high school brushes his teeth roughly and in different motions that are so harmful to the gums. During our sophomore year in college, he experienced severe toothache when he drank an ice-cold beer. He quickly went to an emergency dentist. Chicago that time was a great place for a college pub hub so we used to drink every weekend to unwind. During that time, we also learned that drinking too much alcohol will lead to a bad oral health. It's a good thing that I have a regular meeting with my dentist and he taught me how to correctly clean my teeth when I'm not in his dental lair.
It is always recommended that we use smooth brush but many a times it gets damaged very soon and we do not feel like brushing our tooth properly.
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My childrens pediatric dentist has some great information for young childrens dental hygiene on his website, it was pretty helpful when I brought up dental hygiene with my children.
Hi,
Thanks for the advice. Really very helpful...
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This article is really informative. Before, i thought that using hard-bristled toothbrush is more effective that's why I opt to use it.Little did I know that its bad for the teeth.Thanks for providing such an eye-opener article.Many would learn from this.
Yeah! What a great blog you have published. I like it and i will share it to others.
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Yea, I think there is a close relationship between mouth health and body health. Moreover, your dental treatment system that you say is very effective, I think. You will be pleased to know that we have recently merged and acquired two beautiful dental practices, now Occidental.
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