Toothbrushing is something that most of us have been doing our whole lives. Unfortunately, most people haven't been taught the correct way to brush his/her teeth. NOT brushing the right way can actually damage your gums and/or make you not very effective at removing the bacteria in your mouth!! I say if your going to be brushing anyway you might as well take a minute to learn to do it the right way :) :) "Scrub Brushing" (which most people do) can result in the gums getting brushed away (called recession), or people frustrated that they brush and floss 2x a day and still have severe gum disease. A slight adjustment in your technique could make you more effective and save you the big $ at the dentist!!
DRY BRUSHING
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The average american spends 37 seconds brushing his/her teeth (Its supposed to be 2 minutes!!)
Studies show that people who brush withOUT toothpaste first brush longer and more effectively.
Try brushing without toothpaste and then feel around your mouth with your tongue. (Pay special attention to where your gums meet your teeth especially on the bottom tongue side of your teeth). When your mouth feels clean and fresh add tootpaste!! The problem with adding toothpaste first is that you think your mouth is clean because of the bubbles and foaming...and its not. By dry brushing you will brush longer and more effectively
45 DEGREE ANGLE
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The most common mistake with toothbrushing is vigorously scrubbing back and forth. SCRUBBING IS A VERY, VERY BAD IDEA. I realize that some people feel like they are getting their teeth really clean but there is a more effective way to brush. I frequently see patients that have scrubbed away their gums and now have their roots exposed. (This can cause the teeth to look too long, it can cause sensitivity and the root exposure puts the patient at a higher risk for cavities). The correct way to brush is to angle the toothbrush towards your gum line (45 degrees) and do small circles. Let the bristles gently sweep under where the tooth meets the gum! :) My friend Megan Ham tells her patients that the gums are like tissue paper so you don't want to brush too hard.
P.S. Remember to also clean the chewing surface of your teeth!!
START ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT -TONGUE SIDE
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Start on the bottom right on the tongue side of the tooth. Studies show that is where the most plaque is (and from my observation I agree). REALLY work on getting the tongue out of the way and still maintain the 45 degree angle at the gum line.
BRUSHING WITH AN ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH
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I love electric toothbrushes!! People often brush longer and are more effective. The nice ones have sensors so heavy handed brushers can't brush too hard!! However, alot of people don't know that you brush differently with an electric toothbrush than you do with a manuel. With an electric toothbrush do the normal 45 degree angle and lightly move around your gum lines (spend 30 seconds in each of the 4 quadrants). Do not brush back and forth just angle it up into your gums and let it do the work. Electric toothbrushes work better with less pressure. I tell my patients just to hold it between their pointer finger and thumb and gently go around their mouth. No scrubbing or circle motion.
If anybody is interested in which journals I got my information from please leave a comment! A majority of this information came from the article The New Standard of Prevention by Trisha O'Hehir, RDH