Brushing Habits That Harm Your Teeth and Gums

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ADMS
Health & Medical
Sunrise Dentistry
https://sunrise-dentistry.com/blog/brushing-habits-that-harms-your-teeth-and-gums/
Brushing Habits That Harm
Your Teeth and Gums
B LOG  |  S UNR I S E  D EN T I S T R Y
https://sunrise-dentistry.com/
From the very beginning when our
teeth first start to grow as an infant, it
is important that we take steps to take
care of them. 
The care of teeth and gums is
important and it is more so important
to learn the correct way to care for
them. 
And, we must realize that diet and
nutrition are the most important
factor in your health, including your
teeth and gums. 
For many people who never learned
the correct way to brush gums and
teeth, the damage done over time can
be detrimental to the teeth and gums.
Brushing gums incorrectly overtime
can cause damage to the gumline and
may result in increasing the incidents
of bacteria collecting below the
gumline, bone loss, gum recession or
increasing the risk of needing a gum
graft (Where tissue is taken from the
roof of the mouth and grafted to an
area where gums have receded).
Even people who brush their teeth
after every time they eat (and floss
daily) can potentially negatively affect
their dental health if they do it
incorrectly. 
You may be asking yourself at this
point, “How can I possibly be
brushing incorrectly?” There are two
very common mistakes made with
the toothbrush. The first is brushing
too hard and the second is brushing
straight across the gumline.
Bad Brushing Habit #1: Brushing
Too Hard
Many people have the mistaken belief
that scrubbing the teeth hard so they
have that smooth glassy feeling
means the teeth are nice and clean.
Dr. Strietzel will tell anyone that he
suspects is brushing too hard that this
action is actually sanding the tooth
surface. Over time, this could wear
out the enamel and put the teeth more
at risk for cavities.
In addition to the damage you are
causing your teeth, if you are not
using the circular and angled method
of brushing, you are causing even
more harm to your gums with the
addition of aggressive brushing. 
This could cause abrasions on the
gums and certainly increases the risk
of periodontal disease, inflamed
gums and bone loss (less foundation
of bone to support the teeth).
If your gums bleed often while
brushing, you are likely brushing
too hard. When you are in a hurry,
you may often have the tendency
to brush more aggressively so you
are done sooner.
 
This is something that we all
need to be aware of every time
we brush, particularly when
preparing to go to school or
work, when we may be thinking
about the day’s agenda instead of
how we are brushing our teeth.
Bad Brushing Habit #2: Brushing
Across the Gumline
This is best described with a visual
rather than a verbal explanation. The
following two images represent the
correct and the incorrect way to hold
the toothbrush.
Incorrect (Note how the bristles
are going over the top of the
gums):
Correct (Note how the bristles
are going under the gumline):
Once you have placed the toothbrush
at a 45-degree angle against the tooth
and gumline, then begin brushing
GENTLY using a small circular
motion. 
If you are doing it correctly, you
should see the tips of the bristles
brushing just under the gumline. You
are doing it incorrectly if the bristles
are brushing gums across the top.
If you are brushing back and forth or
up and down instead of in small,
gentle circular motions you are likely
harming your gums, because these
methods don’t control the bristles as
well so they don’t go across the
gumline. Back and forth brushing can
work, but only if you are moving ½
the tooth width or less.
Many people do this and move
several teeth back and forth and use
too much pressure, which can
seriously damage the teeth and gums.
Bad Brushing Habit # 3: Not
Brushing Often or Long Enough
Ideally, brushing after every meal is
the best habit to support care of teeth
and gums. 
This helps to control the build-up of
plaque which erodes and softens the
tooth enamel (leading to decay). The
plaque can also turn into the tartar
that has to be scraped off your teeth.
This is especially helpful if your diet is
higher in starchy carbohydrates such
as bread, pasta, rice, and if you are
regularly consuming any kind of
sweets. 
All of these foods increase the biofilm
that builds up on your teeth, so you
are best removing it as quickly as
possible. The Mayo Clinic
recommends brushing right away
after consuming these kinds of foods. 
However, if your food or drink was
acidic, such as foods containing
tomato or citrus fruits, it is
recommended that you wait 20-30
minutes before brushing and rinse
with water first, as your mouth has a
higher level of acid after consuming
acidic foods and beverages. 
You spread that acid on your teeth
when you brush right away and this
may harm your enamel.
Wait 
20-30 minutes
before brushing
Here are some ideas to help you or
your kids brush for the whole two
minutes that is recommended.
1). Get a one-minute egg timer or
one-minute hourglass. 
Start it then brush the top arch first
(front and back) until the timer runs
out, then flip it over or reset it for
another minute and do the bottom
teeth.
2) One of the methods people use
for washing hands for a full
minute is to sing the birthday song
twice. 
You can apply that by humming a
ditty that is about a minute long while
brushing your top teeth, then repeat
with your bottom teeth. Maybe make
up a song for this purpose. (That’s for
the kids!)
3) Get some exercise in while you
brush. 
Count 30 squats while you brush the
front top arch from one side to the
other then count 30 leg lifts on one leg
while brushing the back top arch. 
Mix it up with 30 reps of some other
exercises or stretching. Each time you
get to approximately 15 reps, you
should arrive at the two front teeth.
Bad Brushing Habit # 4: Using the
Wrong Size and/or Hard Bristle
Toothbrush.
Kids should use kids tooth brushes
and adults should use adult brushes.
Trust your dentist and hygienist to
provide you with what is best for you.
Generally, too large of a toothbrush is
less efficient than one that is too
small.
The bristles should be soft, not hard.
You should replace your toothbrush
every three to six months. 
If the bristles start splaying out, that is
an indication you may be brushing
too hard and you should replace the
brush sooner and practice awareness
of how hard you are brushing.
An electric toothbrush can be helpful
in improving the care of teeth and
gums. We recommend the newer
Sonicare brush as they have a feature
that lets you know if you are brushing
too hard.
It also has an app that you can
download on your phone. It will show
you areas where you may be missing
spots and will help you to know
where to spend less time or pay more
attention.
Your daily brushing should include
flossing. If you are not including
flossing in your daily oral care you
should start a (good) habit of making
it part of your brushing regimen. 
Keep your toothbrush and floss
together so you will begin to associate
them as part of your daily routine.
One last thing about your oral care
habits. If you use mouthwash as part
of your daily care, you need to be
aware that many mouthwashes
contain alcohol, which can dry out
your mouth, and have other
ingredients that are not considered to
be healthy. Consider an organic
mouthwash if you must use it.
dale@durangolive.net
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(970) 247-3303
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