Publish date: 30 September 2021
Toothbrushing…..Am I doing it correct?
The best way to maintain your oral health is to keep good oral care and hygiene habits.
The foundation of all good oral habits is brushing your teeth. You should brush your teeth for at least 2 minutes, twice daily, with fluoride toothpaste – once in the morning, when you wake up, and once in the evening, before bed – the evening brush is the most important brush of them all!
Don’t rush it. Take your time!
1. Place the brush at a 45 degree angle to the front tooth surface. Bristles must contact both lines of tooth and gum.
2. Move the brush in a small, jiggling, circular motion.
3. Clean the inside surfaces of the back teeth by moving the brush in a small back and forth motion.
4. Clean the inside surfaces of the front teeth by tilting the brush vertically using small up and down strokes.
5. Clean the inside surfaces of the front lower teeth by tilting the brsuh vertically using small up and down strokes.
6. Move the brush in a back and forth motion to clean the biting surfaces.
Brushing your teeth is one of those daily routines that we tend to perform automatically, you may be missing those hard-to-reach areas behind your teeth – the ones you can’t see in the mirror! Yet it’s these same areas that are often hot spots for bacterial and plaque formation.
To clean between your teeth, use floss or an interdental brush. Don’t forget to brush or scrape your tongue also!
FUN FACTS
- The electric toothbrush first appeared in 1939.