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Posted on 4/20/2019 by Dick Hikade, DDS |
 You are one of those long tooth brushers, aren't you? You love the feel of your clean, smooth, shiny teeth. You love the way they look in the mirror. You love all the compliments you get about how beautiful your teeth are. You bask in the glory of tooth adulation. If you are one of those people who feel that you have to brush immediately every time you eat, you need to continue reading. While it is true that people who don't brush enough usually have more problems than people who do, you are not out of the woods yet. In fact, people who brush too long can really cause damage to your teeth. Over time, frequent brushing can damage your teeth just as badly as if you practiced poor oral hygiene. If you brush too long or too hard, your teeth can become thin or brittle. If you are not sure how long you should be brushing, keep reading. We're going to let you know exactly how much time you need to spend on your teeth. No More than Two Minutes, Twice a Day Although two minutes sounds like a short time, it really isn't that short at all. Two minutes is all the time you need to make sure you have brushed all of your tooth and gum surfaces. Be sure that you are using careful, rounded strokes, and don't push down too hard. After you brush, be sure and rinse your mouth, to clear it of plaque and food particles. After you brush for two minutes, be sure and floss. Once you have flossed each tooth, you are ready to rinse and continue on with your day. If you use your brush for longer than two minutes, you are brushing your tooth surfaces too long and too hard. You could brush away your tooth enamel over time, and that is not a good thing. The enamel works to protect your teeth from cavities and tiny pockets of acids that eat into the enamel. The thinner the animal is, the more likely you are to get cavities on your tooth's surface. You can also irritate and inflame your gums, which leads to pain and swelling. This swelling can also be harmful for your teeth, because it means that you may be missing pieces of food that enable bacteria to grow. Brushing Right Makes a Huge Difference for Your Oral HealthWe know it is hard, but if you can limit yourself to two brushes and flosses twice daily, you will be doing your teeth and gums a favor. Want to learn more about the importance of brushing to your teeth, and why brushing too long is bad for you, give us a call! We love talking about oral hygiene! |
