We all know that brushing your teeth is important, but what happens when you are doing it wrong? Can you do it wrong? Well, the answer is yes. There are actually a few different ways this can happen. The first way is over brushing. That’s right, over brushing. Another way that you can damage your teeth is by brushing too hard. Both of these actions can have a serious impact on your overall dental health.

If you visit the dentist regularly, your provider will be able to notice the signs rather easily and point it out to you. Some of the symptoms include:

·         The bristles on your toothbrush become frayed quickly.

·         Increased tooth sensitivity.

·         Receding gums.

·         Bleeding.

·         Exposed dentin.

 

When you over brush and or brush too hard, it can cause your enamel to wear down and affect your gums. The regular acids in beverages and food add to these problems, causing the teeth to deteriorate quicker. Surveys are also showing that certain toothpastes, mouth rinses, whitening products, broken and or cracked teeth, and different diseases like acid reflux and bulimia are also contributors to tooth sensitivity.

 

Since prevention is the best medicine, there are a number of precautions one can take to brush properly and protect their teeth on any kind of budget.

 

·         Use a soft or extra soft toothbrush. Look for the American Dental Association seal of approval.

·         Hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle, brush gently, in a circular motion, and hold the toothbrush in your fingertips — not in the palm of your hand.

·         Use an electric toothbrush with a timer. Most have that feature to ensure that you brush for the recommended brushing time, which is two minutes.

·         Practice good oral hygiene, which means flossing regularly and brushing at least twice a day.

·         Avoid acidic foods and drinks (like soft drinks, energy drinks, coffee, and citrus foods).

·         Some electric toothbrushes have indicators that will alert you when you are brushing too hard.

If you are wondering about the correct technique for brushing, here are 3 simple steps to remember.

1.       Place your brush at a 45-degree angle to your gum line. Applying gentle pressure, move the bristles in a small circular motion, carefully guiding the brush along the gum line. A 45-degree angle may be achieved on the inside of the upper and lower teeth by placing the brush straight into the mouth, on the inside gum line.

2.       Maintain the same angle on the inside gum line of the back teeth.

3.       Brush the chewing surfaces of the back teeth.

Lastly, make sure to replace your toothbrush at least every 3-4 months.

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 7th, 2010 at 5:11 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.