Are you actually damaging your teeth instead of cleaning them? Incorrect brushing techniques can actually harm your teeth.
The toothbrush is a tool to keep your teeth healthy and clean but if used without understanding the technique and method of cleaning, you may actually cause problems like gum recession, enamel erosion or abrasion which eventually may cause severe issues like cavities and also tooth loss.
The following are the common mistakes that people make while brushing their teeth.
- Vigorous brushing:
Cleaning your teeth is different from cleaning utensils or cleaning the floor. Vigorous brushing is extremely damaging to your teeth. Many people brush their teeth like they scrub the floor or use scotchbrite on their utensils. This is the worst way of brushing. You almost guarantee toothbrush abrasion and gum erosion by doing this.
- Toothbrush with Hard Bristles:
Most people think that using a hard toothbrush will ensure better cleaning. This is completely false. In fact, a hard toothbrush is more damaging than favorable.
A hard toothbrush is extremely aggressive on the enamel and slowly erodes the enamel exposing the dentin layer of the tooth which eventually forms a cavity. So, please throw that hard toothbrush today and buy a new toothbrush with soft bristles.
- Using too much toothpaste:
Most advertisements show a large portion of toothbrushes being dispensed on the toothbrush before brushing and most people think that as the prescribed or required dosage for brushing every day.
This is completely wrong and only a marketing gimic to influence increased usage of toothpaste which only benefits the toothpaste manufacturer. You only need a pea-sized serving of the toothpaste on your toothbrush for effective brushing.
- Using toothbrushes till they completely wear out:
Your toothbrush has a life of maximum 90 days. You should not wait till your toothbrush really welt and become like a flat floor brush. dispose your old toothbrush and get a new one as soon as you feel the bristles have become permanently curved and are not reaching the gaps in your teeth.