Brushing Mistakes That Could Damage Your Teeth

Posted on: 2 December 2018

If you love the feeling you get right after you brush your teeth, you may develop the habit of brushing your teeth numerous times each day, just so that your mouth feels fresh and clean. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, there are bad habits people have when it comes to brushing their teeth, and some of these habits could actually cause damage to your teeth. Here are some of the bad habits people have with brushing their teeth that could damage their teeth and gums.

Brushing too hard

You might think that brushing your teeth really aggressively will naturally clean them better, but this is not really true. You do not have to brush hard with your toothbrush, and if you do, you could actually brush off the enamel on your teeth. When you lose the enamel, your teeth will become sensitive and prone to cavities.

Brushing with the wrong methods

A lot of people have bad brushing habits too, and this refers to the way they brush their teeth. If you brush your teeth the same way every single day, you may be missing areas of your mouth. To avoid this, brush in different patterns. Use up and down strokes, strokes from side to side, and strokes in circular motions. Aim to reach every tooth while you are brushing and change up your routine each day.

Brushing too often

Additionally, if you brush your teeth five or six times a day, you might actually be harming your teeth through this, especially if you are an aggressive brusher. Most dentists believe that brushing twice each day is plenty for removing plaque, so you may want to cut back with the number of times you brush each day.

Using the same toothbrush for too long

One other way you may be harming your teeth is by failing to replace your toothbrush as often as you should. A toothbrush will generally last only three to four months. After that, it can lose its effectiveness for cleaning your teeth. Therefore, if you do not replace your toothbrush often enough, you might think you are cleaning your teeth thoroughly, but you might not be. The best thing to do is change your toothbrush every three months whether you think it is worn out or not.

Your teeth can last a lifetime with proper care, and you should try to make sure your habits are not harming your teeth. To learn more or to schedule a dental cleaning, talk to a dentist in your city.

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