Taking care of our teeth and mouth is a vital part of our lives, but how well are we doing it? Often, people make mistakes in this process, which can negatively affect tooth enamel, gums and overall health. Check out the 10 most common teeth brushing mistakes below to make the right decisions in improving your oral hygiene habits.
Most people brush their teeth for less than 2 minutes, which is not enough time to perform a thorough and high-quality cleaning. Based on a study conducted by the "Journal of Dental Hygiene", it was concluded that the average time people spend brushing their teeth is 45-70 seconds, which is much less than the recommended 120 seconds.
Pressing the toothbrush head too hard on the teeth, or rubbing, is one of the most common mistakes most people make. It not only damages tooth enamel, but also causes gum recession. A study published in the "Journal of Clinical Periodontology" concluded that people who applied too much pressure on the brush head while brushing their teeth had a higher risk of receding gums, or recession, compared to those who did not apply active pressure and rubbing while brushing their teeth.
Cleaning the tongue is a very important process in oral hygiene. Bacteria remain on the tongue, which cause bad breath and contribute to the aging of teeth. A study published by the "International Journal of Dental Hygiene" indicates that brushing the tongue significantly reduces the amount of bacteria in the mouth.
Brushing your teeth immediately after eating is a bad habit because it damages the tooth enamel. A study published by the "Journal of the American Dental Association" indicates that the ideal time that should pass after eating before brushing your teeth is 30-60 minutes.
A hard-bristled toothbrush can damage tooth enamel and gums. A study published in the "Journal of Clinical Periodontology" concluded that people who brushed their teeth with a soft or medium-hard toothbrush had significantly more effective plaque removal and a reduced risk of gum disease. A hard-bristled toothbrush can do more harm than good, so we recommend that you consult your doctor to find out which type of brush is best for you.
Most often, people do not pay attention to the gum line, which is also essential in cleaning the teeth. People who choose to brush their gum line also experience far fewer gum problems than people who don't.
It is not recommended to use the toothbrush head for more than 3 months. According to the Journal of Dental Research, the toothbrush head has accumulated a significant amount of bacteria after three months and needs to be replaced.
Rinsing your mouth after brushing washes away the fluorides in the toothpaste. Fluorides help protect teeth from decay. A study published in the Journal of Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry indicated that not rinsing the mouth immediately after brushing can significantly increase fluoride exposure during brushing.
Brushing your teeth too often can cause damage to tooth enamel and gums. A study published in the Journal of Periodontology described that people who brushed their teeth three times a day or more faced a higher risk of receding gums, or recession.
Using a lot of toothpaste with each brushing will cause too much foaming and make the cleaning process difficult. The ideal amount of toothpaste to use per brushing is a pea-sized amount.
Summing up all 10 points, we can conclude that proper oral hygiene consists of several aspects and habits. By avoiding the above-mentioned mistakes, your teeth and oral hygiene will improve significantly. It is recommended to brush your teeth for 2 minutes, wait after eating, also focus on the gum line, change your toothbrush regularly, brush your tongue, do not rinse your mouth immediately after brushing, apply a pea-sized amount of toothpaste and not brush your teeth 3 or more times a day.
References:
Tooth brushing duration and plaque removal: a study of brushing practices in the United States. J Dent Hyg. 2016 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19138183/
