Using Your Toothbrush to Clean Your Teeth and Gums
The best care of your teeth involves daily removal of plaque from your teeth and your gums. This care is done through daily brushing and flossing. A professional prophylaxis should be done from 2 to 4 times a year depending upon the condition of your gums. Failure to brush and floss effectively will cause your teeth to slowly decay.
Your dentist is the best person to contact regarding effective brushing and flossing techniques. Many people quickly brush their teeth in about 30 seconds. A thorough job cannot be done in this amount of time. Harsh brushing back and forth along the gum line will cause areas of sensitivity and gingival recession. A thorough tooth brushing session should last 2 to 3 minutes. The proper way to brush is to brush using a circular or elliptical motion and brush a few teeth at a time. Brush both the outside and inside surfaces. It is also important to brush the surfaces of the teeth, especially your molars to remove trapped food particles. Bacteria live on the tongue, and it is important to brush your tongue to remove these bacteria and avoid bad breath.
Use a toothbrush with soft bristles made from nylon. The head of the brush should be about one inch long and the bristles should have rounded edges. You should buy a new toothbrush every 3 months. By the time the bristles start to flare, effectiveness in cleaning is greatly reduced.
Try to brush 3 times a day and use toothpaste that is approved by the ADA and contains fluoride.
In addition to manual toothbrushes, there are many types of automatic toothbrushes on the market. These brushes can be very good plaque removal tools.