Brushing is an easy task for you, as you’re doing it from a young age. Even though you brush your teeth daily, there still could be things you are doing wrong. In this blog, learn how you can modify the most typical dental care mistakes that you can avoid and how you can fix it. Biggest Dental Care Mistakes You Can Easily Avoid While Brushing.
Table of Contents
1. Using the same toothbrush for years
Changing your brush after every three months will keep your brushing effective. Sometimes bristles may be broken, inflexible, frayed, or worn out, and won’t do a good job, so you need to change it as they hold bacteria and small food particles. While choosing a brush, make sure that bristles are soft, as hard bristles can damage your teeth.
2. Skipping the floss
As brushing can’t reach every part of your mouth, you should stop skipping flossing. It ensures that your teeth get clean from the debris, plaque, and crevices near the gum line. Daily flossing will prevent your teeth from decay and gum disease. The more you floss, the better the oral health you will get.
3. Brushing for less than two minutes
Dentists tell that a person should brush for at least two minutes and twice a day. It will remove the tartar and biofilms on your tooth surface, that are responsible for bad breath, cavities, gum inflammation, and even plaque deposits.
4. Brushing too hard
The main reason to brush your teeth is to prevent tooth decay and remove plaque. When brushing hard, you press it more against the teeth which harm them more, causing overstress on your gums and making them recede. It can also expose a part of your tooth’s root by making that area sensitive to hot or cold temperatures.
5. Brushing from the wrong angle
Hold your brush at a 45-degree angle in both upward and downward direction to clean and sweep down your gum line and to remove the plaque. Then, brush your teeth in the “O” shape by drawing small circles. For the electric brush, no need to hold the brush in any direction, as it can go straight in your mouth. You only have to keep it for a couple of seconds.
6. Not brushing your tongue
The most significant source of bad breath is your tongue, as debris and microbes get stuck on it. Thus, don’t forget or neglect to brush your tongue. It is a fact that you can avoid 70% of your bad breath by brushing your tongue. You can clean your tongue by using the ripples on the back of your toothbrush. It also removes the harmful bacteria from your tongue and inner cheeks.
7. Not gargling after eating
When you gargle your mouth after eating, it will remove the food particles on and between your teeth. It will also help you to remove the acidity that is caused after food consumption as acidity leads to harmful bacterial growth.
8. Brushing right after eating
This acidic food weakens your tooth enamel and brushing right after eating can damage your enamel. Avoid brushing your teeth for at least 30 minutes after your intake of any beverages or acidic food. While waiting, you can gargle your mouth with water to get rid of harmful bacteria causing cavity and other food debris.
9. Not brushing enough
One must brush at least twice per day, as the prolonged period between brushing allows terrible bacteria growth. This leads to plaque build-up and exposure of acids bacteria. Frequent brushing removes the plaque and neutralises the pH of your mouth, keeping your teeth clean and healthy.
Other oral hygiene mistakes to avoid
There is no denying that your oral health is just as important as your general health. But by avoiding these mistakes, you’ll have much better oral health and healthier smile now and in the future.
#1 keeping your toothbrush open
If you toss your brush into a drawer or in your bathroom, it will be picking up the harmful bacteria. Keep your brushes in a holder with lids on or near the sink but away from your toilets.
#2 sharing your brushes
When you’re sharing a toothbrush, you’re sharing harmful bacteria. It can cause tooth decay on you or your partner’s teeth. You should get your own brush to avoid sharing.
#3 not going for check-ups
If you are anxious about dental check-ups, doctors give you nitrous oxide to help with the fear. They recommend going for regular check-ups to avoid small cavities and to decay of your tooth. So, for dental veneers or other dental issues, you can go to your nearby dental clinic.
Conclusion
Whether you’re an adult or young, adapting good dental health is not too late. If you enjoy brushing, you’ll be able to prevent or lessen the risk of dental health later on. A great start to preserve your dental health is to avoid these big dental care mistakes.