Brushing Up On Your Brushing Routine

Posted on: 2 November 2016

Brushing your teeth may not be rocket science, but unless you're brushing correctly, you may not be getting the full benefit from your cleaning regimen. For that reason, it's good to periodically refresh your notions of what constitutes good brushing. If you would like to brush up on your brushing routine, read on. This article will discuss three important facets of dental cleaning that you may not be aware of.

Wait to brush after consuming acidic foods.

Many people are so enthusiastic to get their teeth clean after finishing a meal that they blunder into one of the most common brushing mistakes. On the one hand, the impulse to remove all traces of sugary and starchy foods from your mouth is a good one. But when a meal contains one or more highly acidic foods, brushing too soon could end up working against you.

The problem is that consuming highly acidic items such as coffee, citrus, and yogurt--to name just a few--changes the pH inside of your mouth. Specifically, it causes the pH to go down. This low pH in turn affects the enamel on your teeth, making it slightly softer. Such softened enamel can be unintentionally damaged by brushing. Always be sure to wait approximately thirty minutes before brushing after a meal containing acidic foods. This will give your mouth enough time to return to a more neutral pH.

Throw your brushing routine a curveball.

On the one hand, it's good to make brushing an automatic habit. Yet on the other hand, paying too little attention to your routine may result in unintentionally overlooking certain parts of your mouth. This is especially true of those who always start brushing in the same place, since the teeth that get cleaned last usually end up getting less attention.

Try to deliberately shake up your routine. It can even help to put a post-it note on your bathroom mirror, reminding yourself to vary your brushing habits. Starting with a different part of your mouth is a great way to ensure that all of your teeth are getting an equal treatment. Keeping a kitchen timer on hand to ensure you brush for a full two minutes can also be a huge boon.

Stick to modestly sized toothbrushes.

While bigger may be better in certain aspects of life, toothbrushes simply aren't one of them. In fact, oversized toothbrushes can often make it harder to give your teeth a thorough cleaning. That's because a super-sized brush head will struggle to reach those far back molars. Be aware than an effective brush simply doesn't need to be any more than 1/2" by 1" in size

For more information and advice, talk to a dentist at an office such as Gentle Dental Family Care.

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