How to Brush Your Teeth
The daily admonition to “brush your teeth” is a well known childhood refrain, and we know we should if only to avoid the dreaded dentist drill.
However, if you don’t know how to brush properly, you can do as much damage to your precious teeth and gums as if you never brushed at all.
Toothbrushes
Toothbrushes that are made from the wrong material, in the wrong shape or used the wrong way can seriously damage your teeth, so it’s a good idea to find how to do it right.
Toothbrushes should be made from soft, rounded synthetic or natural fibers.
The ADA recommends only those toothbrushes marked as “soft” since harder bristles can start rubbing important dental enamel away, which in the end only speeds up cavity formation and can contribute to periodontal disease.
Toothbrushes should be replaced fairly frequently, either every two months or when the bristles start to bow outwards, whichever comes first.
How to use the toothbrush
Once you have your toothbrush, put the bottom edge at a forty-five degree angle to your gums and brush in an “up and down” motion on both the inner and outer surfaces of the tooth. The objective here is not to brush your gums, just your teeth. Of course, get the top surfaces as well. Use the tip of the brush to get the inner surfaces of the front teeth, and finish by brushing your tongue. This last step seriously helps in removing halitosis and cavity causing bacteria.
Flossing
Flossing is an important part of a daily tooth care regimen, but should be approached carefully as well.
Always floss before brushing, as flossing pushes out food particles and plaque where the toothbrush can sweep them away.
Only use floss marked as such, as substituting thread or string can be quite damaging to your teeth.
Once you have a good grasp on a length of floss, push it gently down between your teeth and wipe up and down the sides of both teeth once. Just once, only once, don’t go sawing away at the sides of your teeth with the floss.
If you’re just starting to floss after a long absence from the practice, your gums may bleed a bit at first, especially if you currently suffer from a mild gum infection.
Be especially gentle while the bleeding is a problem, and hold off for a few days if the bleeding or discomfort starts getting excessive, but don’t give up.
Even if you currently suffer from mild infections or cavities, creating a dental hygiene habit is an important step in a permanent cure.
Toothpaste
Toothpaste comes in both paste and gel form, and is used to help clean teeth.
Flouride is one of the most common additives in toothpaste, serving to chemically strengthen the teeth on a daily basis.
Some varieties of toothpaste also offer to improve aesthetic appeal by whitening dental enamel or fighting bad breath.
Toothpaste is rarely used alone, you almost always find it meant for use with a toothbrush. While toothpaste can help fight plaque and remove food particles, it is not a necessary tool in tooth brushing.
With the appropriate tools and techniques, brushing your teeth is both the best and cheapest method out there for keeping your pearly whites healthy throughout a long and drill-free life.
About the Author
Donald edits a growing number of health related web site. ToothAndTeeth.com is one of them, there you can find anything from a tooth abscess home remedy to brusim and bad breath.
Adobe Flash Tools : Flash Tools: Brush Tool
|
|
FURminator deShedding Tool $29.99 FURminator Small deShedding Tool Reduces shedding up to 90 percent by removing the loose, dead undercoat without damaging the topcoat. It is by far the absolute best deShedding Tool on the market, throw away all your other tools, you’ll never need anything except the FURminator again!Watch the video to see the furminator for dogs in action, then scroll down and see the actual amount of fur r… |
|
|
FURminator deShedding Tool for Cats, 1.75-Inch Edge $4.00 FURMINATOR CAT DESHEDDING TOOL Small 1.75″ Quickly and easily removes the undercoat and loose hair without damaging the topcoat Reduces shedding up to 90% Superior to brushes, combs or rakes Helps eliminates furballs Brings out the pets natural oil, promoting healthy skin and coat Peggable blister card… |
|
|
Oxo Good Grips Flexible Vegetable Brush $3.40 Carrots and potatoes, beets and broccoli–no matter how round, bumpy, or odd the surface, this brush’s flexible body will follow the contours. The nylon bristles are strong and sturdy, dislodging dirt in deep nooks and crannies. The Good Grips line features durable, nonslip flexible handles on every product. Ergonomically designed to fit the palm comfortably and softly, the pressure-absorbing proc… |
|
|
Individual Thought Patterns $12.98 Plumbing Specialty Tools Type: No-Hub Torque Wrench… |
|
|
It Was Only A Dream $8.99 Great Artists such as MichaelAngelo and Picasso use the brush as a tool, to express their feelings and ideas. San Francisco/Bay Area artist Joseph Ramos uses the piano, in the same way to transform his expressions and feelings into such wonderous, mystical music that is truly, one of a kind. A breathtaking sample of the many piano/instrumental compositions by Joseph Ramos that is sure to take you… |
|
|
3CABLE CRIMPED CUP BRUSH w/G $15.70 3″CABLE CRIMPED CUP BRUSH w/G… |
|
|
Introduction: Surface Techniques in Fimo and Other Polymer Clays (Mastering the New Clay Live Video Workshop Series, Volume 2-A) Tory Hughes, a pioneer in innovative approaches to polymer clay, and Gameplan Productions join forces to create an information-rich home video series which teaches you how to duplicate the original techniques for which Hughes has gained world-wide acclaim. In this series, you have a front-row seat at a Tory Hughes workshop. With clear, step-by-step directions and a warm, informal approach, you’ll … |
|
|
Classic Dentistry Films DVD: 1930s -1960s Dentist, Dental Health Oral Hygiene Tooth Care, & Crest Toothpaste Commercials Films $12.99 This is a strong compilation of dental care films from the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s & 1960s. The two feature films are extremely funny with high audience appeal and the classic toothpaste commercial montage shows the art of dental marketing from the masters – Crest. Table Of Contents: (1) About Faces (1941) – This hilarious film is aimed at getting Americans to go to the dentist more during the start o… |
|
|
World War 2 Dental Health & Oral Hygiene Film by the Public Health Service (1941) $4.99 Twenty percent of all applicants for selective service during World War 2 are not allowed because they have bad teeth. It is the most cited reason for rejection. If these young men in the prime of their health have such bad teeth, what can be expected of the rest of Americans? This amazing film, About Faces, seeks to answer this question with some of the most bizarre scenes ever filmed. Poor oral … |
|
|
Dental Hygiene for Kids: Told by a Tooth (1939) [DVD] $9.99 An animated tooth appears as the narrator of this tooth care film. In Told by a Tooth, the tooth teaches children the mechanics of proper brushing, exercise of the teeth and gums, following good nutrition, and visiting the dentist. A bizarre xylophone soundtrack accompanies some fairly weird scenes, like when a little girl dumps plates of food on what looks like a giant tooth shrine. This film, ge… |