How to Brush
Brushing your teeth is not only for a whiter and brighter smile, it is crucial to maintaining good oral health. When you brush, the objective is to remove plaque. Plaque is a sticky deposit on teeth which contains bacteria. If plaque is left on the teeth long enough, the bacteria will proliferate and lead to gum disease and cavities. Thus, it is essential to brush at least twice a day.
What toothbrush should I be using?
Always use a soft bristled toothbrush and choose the appropriate size. The majority of toothbrushes are age appropriate which make choosing a toothbrush easy. If you have a small mouth or hard to reach areas, use a child’s toothbrush.
For those who are lazy brushers or have dexterity issues, an electric toothbrush is recommended. The electric toothbrush which I recommend are the philips sonicare for kids, philips sonicare flextime, philips sonicare diamond clean, oral B Triumph 7000, and Colgate C250 Pro Clinical Electric Toothbrush
Brushing Technique
Proper brushing take 2-3 minutes. A stopwatch or timer is recommended to keep track of time. To make brushing fun for the kids, an Ipad can be used as a timer. Pick a youtube music video that is around 2-3 minutes and brushing can be made fun and enjoyable.
Squeeze about a pea-size amount of toothpaste onto your toothbrush. Now you are ready to brush your teeth
To properly brush your teeth
Set your bristles at the gum line at a 45-degree angle. Gently brush with a short, vertical or circular motion. Don’t brush across your teeth.
- Brush the outer surface of the upper teeth,
- Brush the outer surface of the lower teeth
- Brush the inner surface upper teeth
- Brush the inner surface of the lower teeth
- Then, Brush the top surfaces of the upper and lower teeth
- Lastly, Brush your tongue too
You should be done in 2-3 minutes!