Right Way to Brush Your Teeth - Healthy Tips of Living

Many people are surprised to learn that, for years, they have actually been brushing their teeth the wrong way. Watch the video below — are you brushing like Natalie Portman in this clip? If so, you run the risk of stripping enamel from your teeth and causing permanent damage.

Believe it or not, toothbrush bristles can damage to your teeth. Learn how to brush your teeth the right way and you’ll protect them for years to come.

Brushing your teeth is an important part of your dental care routine. For a healthy mouth and smile the ADA recommends you:

• Brush your teeth twice a day with a soft-bristled brush. The size and shape of your brush should fit your mouth allowing you to reach all areas easily.
• Replace your toothbrush every three or four months, or sooner if the bristles are frayed. A worn toothbrush won’t do a good job of cleaning your teeth.
• Make sure to use an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste.

The proper brushing technique is to:

• Place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gums. 
• Gently move the brush back and forth in short (tooth-wide) strokes. 
• Brush the outer surfaces, the inner surfaces, and the chewing surfaces of the teeth.
• To clean the inside surfaces of the front teeth, tilt the brush vertically and make several up-and-down strokes.
• Brush your tongue to remove bacteria and keep your breath fresh.

Right Way  to Brush Your Teeth Properly:

1.) Selecting the right Toothbrush to Brush Your Teeth
The first and the main step in this process is selecting an appropriate brush for you. Below are the things you need to look for.

• Always choose a brush which has soft bristles is made of nylon. Soft nylon bristles are very effective in removing the accumulation of plaque and debris from your teeth. Such brush also helps keep your gums and sensitive enamel at peace.
• Also, make sure that the head of the brush is of such a size that it can easily reach around your teeth.
• Remember: Do not use toothbrush that have natural bristles made from animal hair. These can be a host of bacteria.
• In case you are not an active brusher and consider brushing a difficult or monotonous task, then you can go for an electric toothbrush which are quite effective in cleaning plaques than the usual brush.

2.) Time to Change Your Toothbrush
It is very necessary to change your toothbrush after a certain period of time. Due to daily usage, your toothbrush gets worn out after some time. This affects the process of cleaning your teeth adequately.

• It is advised to change your toothbrush at least twice a year. However, it is better to change it every three months, if possible.
• If you see that the bristles are worn out or there is any excessive collection of plaque at the base of your toothbrush, then you must replace your brush immediately. In such cases don’t wait for the 3 months to get over, just replace it with a new one.
• In case the bristles or filaments of your toothbrush have splayed, than also you should change the brush irrespective of the time period. This is because such toothbrush attracts bacteria which is surely not a good idea to clean your mouth with.

3.) Select Your Toothpaste Adequately
You can always use a normal toothpaste, there are plenty of options to choose from. However, If you suffer from any sort of oral problems, then you should consider choosing a specific toothpaste other than a regular fluoride toothpaste.

Go for toothpaste according to the dental problem you are facing. This may include:

• If you have sensitivity issue, choose a toothpaste meant for sensitive teeth.
• You can for Tartar control toothpaste, if you want to prevent tartar build up in your teeth.
• Total care toothpaste will help not only help freshen up your breath, but also prevent gum diseases.
• Whitening toothpaste will help in shining white teeth.

4.) Amount of Toothpaste
You must have seen in many toothpaste advertisements, a person adding a thick blob of toothpaste over the toothbrush, which is not the case in reality. Too brush your teeth you actually need just a small amount.

• To brush your teeth sufficiently, just add toothpaste which is just the size of a pea.
• A small amount is quite sufficient in sustaining the cleansing action for longer periods. This way you will not feel the urge to spit the froth out of your mouth frequently.
• This will also prevent you swallowing any toothpaste and prevent diseases resulting from fluoride.
• For a kid under 2 years of age, just a smear of pea- size is more than sufficient.
• Always make sure that your kid doesn’t ingest the paste and directly spit it after brushing.

5.) Master Brushing Technique
It doesn’t matter whether you use a manual or an electric toothbrush, everything actually depends on the technique. Below is the technique to brush your teeth properly.

• Keep your bristles at an angle of 45 degrees with your gumline. Brush gently and in short vertical and circular motions. Avoid brushing across your teeth.
• Try to spend at least 3 minutes in brushing your teeth. Always focus on a few teeth at a time. Brush gently in circular motion for a few seconds, then move on to another group of your teeth. Watch a TV or read newspaper simultaneously, If you tend to get bored while brushing.
• Do not forget to brush your molars. For this, maintain a perpendicular angle with your brush to the lips in such a way that the brush rests on your molars. Do in-and-out motion to brush your molars.
• Remember to brush the inner surface of your teeth. It is often the most commonly skipped area when brushing. For this, simply hold your teeth apart by using fingers. This will help you in creating that required vertical angle for proper brushing.
• Remember to brush your tongue as well. You can clean your tongue using the filaments of your toothbrush or a tongue cleaner.
• After brushing, rinse your mouth properly. Swish your mouth, gargle and spit it out.
• Then, rinse your toothbrush well too to maintain its cleanliness.
• You can do a fluoride mouthwash to rinse your mouth at the end of the complete procedure. It is up to your choice.

5.) Clean Between the Teeth
It is very important to clean between your teeth as well. This habit will help remove plaque and small bits of food stuck between the teeth that can later result in tooth decay.

For this, you can use an interdental brush or dental floss (it is more easily available). You can also use dental tape, which is usually thicker than the floss. Guidelines for flossing are as follows.

• Get rid of the first 45 centimeters of floss and wind the both ends. Remember to keep most part of the floss onto your middle fingers. As you proceed with the cleaning Use the other finger to wind the used floss.
• Hold it between your forefinger and thumb. Make sure there is about an inch of floss between them. Now carefully rock the floss between teeth thoroughly. Avoid snapping it in between.
• As soon as the floss reaches the gumline, turn it into C-shape against your tooth until you start feeling some tension.
• Hold it, and carefully scrape the sides of the tooth. Prevent it moving away from your gum.
• It might make your gums to turn sore or bleed a little for the starting days. Don’t worry about it, as bleeding would stop once the plaque is cleaned.
• In case of persisting bleeding, you may contact your dentist.
• In case you wear braces, you may also go for dental picks. These are plastic or wooden stick. You can easily insert them between your teeth.

6.) Cleaning the Dentures
If you think that you don’t need to worry over such oral healthcare problems because you’ve already lost your teeth and are dependent on dentures, then this is completely wrong. It is equally important to keep your dentures clean. Keeping them clean will help you save extra expense and prevent you from any oral infection.

For cleaning your dentures, brush your dentures before soaking them in order to get rid of any food present. Use a special denture cleaner and then brush it again.