Family Health Brush up on your dental routine
IT’S instilled in us from day one: brush your teeth twice a day and keep the dentist away, but it’s easy to go overboard on brushing, or make potentially harmful mistakes.
To brighten your smile, experts reveal some of the common mistakes – and how to fix them...
1. Not cleaning in between teeth “Brushing only cleans three out of the five tooth surfaces,” says Anna Middleton, founder of London Hygienist (londonhygienist.com).
“However, interdental cleaning with floss or brushes helps prevent tooth decay and gum disease, which can occur when food and plaque are left lodged between teeth.”
If you have the space between your teeth, Anna says go for the biggest interdental brushes – you may need more than one size.
“If your teeth are tight together, dental floss is recommended once a day, preferably at night and in front of the mirror.” If you hate flossing, try a water flosser
Only brushing the teeth and not the gums
“Many of us forget to brush our gums,” says Anna, “but it’s crucial, as this is where plaque will sit”.
Her pro tip? “When using an electric toothbrush, place the bristles against the teeth at a 45-degree angle towards the gum line. Hold the handle gently with a light grip, and light pressure. Glide across your teeth and gums gently, allowing the brush to do most of the work.”
Brushing too hard
“It can be difficult to find the right amount of pressure, and brushing too hard is a common mistake that can have negative consequences,” says Dr Honar Shakir of private dental firm Banning Dental Group (banningdental.co.uk).
“Over-aggressive brushing can slowly erode the enamel and lead to gum recession, potentially exposing nerves and roots.”
To fix this Dr Shakir recommends holding the toothbrush with just three fingers, or switching to a brush with softer bristles.
Not brushing long enough
Dr Theo Sioutis, dental director of private healthcare firm My Healthcare Clinic (myhealthcareclinic. com) warns: “Rushing the job means you might miss surface areas. Brushing for two minutes, twice a day, making sure you don’t miss the hard-toreach areas, should ensure you remove all plaque and germs.”
Not replacing your toothbrush
As Dr Shakir points out: “The bristles on your toothbrush become splayed and less effective over time.”
Experts recommend changing your toothbrush or brush head at least every 12 to 16 weeks.
Brushing at the wrong times
Dr Azad Eyrumlu of Banning Dental Group warns that: “brushing immediately after acidic foods such as coffee or orange juice, can be harmful to the enamel, as you’re brushing the acid onto your teeth,” he explains. “Your mouth needs time to produce saliva to neutralise the acid, and make it safe to brush again.”
Dr Eyrumlu says: “Wait at least 30 minutes after consuming acidic foods or drinks before brushing.”
Using the wrong type of electric toothbrush
Anna says the best are “rotary/oscillating heads and sonic vibration heads”.
“Rotary/oscillating heads are small and round, rotating in one direction and then the other, one tooth at a time to sweep plaque away. Often these heads pulsate, too.
“Sonic heads vibrate at certain high speeds and frequencies to break down plaque, as well as agitate the toothpaste and fluid in the mouth to clean between teeth and along the gumline.”
She suggests avoiding batteryoperated toothbrushes as “They’re not effective and the tendency to ‘scrub’ remains, which can lead to damage of the gums,” she adds.