You would be surprised how something we do every day can go wrong! If you aren’t brushing your teeth correctly, you can wind up with a cavity, receding gums, gum disease, and bad breath. The Novashine Smile Team compiled a list of the top mistakes made while brushing your teeth and what can happen if you do them
7 Mistakes made while brushing your teeth
Brushing side to side
Many people brush their teeth side to side, but this can lead to problems. Brushing side to side only gets one portion of your teeth rather than the whole. This can cause plaque to buildup near the gum line, leading to cavities and gum disease.
Not brushing for the right amount of time
Brushing your teeth seems easy to rush through, but you have to time it just right to get your teeth truly clean. The average American only brushes their teeth for 45-70 seconds when the recommended brushing time is 2-3 minutes!
Picking the wrong toothbrush
We usually don’t think too hard about the toothbrush we buy. A lot of times, it's the cheapest one! However, many toothbrushes have hard bristles that will wear away your gums. Medium and soft bristled brushes keep your teeth clean while not damaging your gums.
Brushing too hard
We’ve all seen a person's toothbrush where the bristles are completely flat due to the way they brush. While it seems like a good idea to brush hard to get rid of all the plague and food throughout the day, it can actually damage your gums. Too much friction can lead to gum recession, and your gums will not grow back after that! It’s important to brush carefully to avoid the roots of your teeth being exposed!
Rinsing your mouth after brushing
A lot of people swish water after brushing to get the taste of toothpaste out of their mouth. Doing this after each brushing session can cause fluoride and other protective chemicals in toothpaste to be rinsed out. While you still brushed the plaque out, you rinsed out the elements of toothpaste that keep you from disease. Even mouthwash can wipe out elements from toothpaste if used too close together!
Not brushing your tongue
A white tongue is a bad breath nightmare. Plaque builds up on the tongue throughout the day, just like it does on your teeth! Failing to brush the plaque off your tongue can lead to bad breath and continual plaque exposure for your teeth.
Not replacing your toothbrush enough
Your toothbrush typically lives in your bathroom, which is one of the dirtiest places in a house. Your toothbrush can be exposed to airborne fecal matter over time. In addition to the cleanliness of the brush, the shape of the bristles changes as you use it and gets a bit worse at cleaning your teeth over time. In general, dentists and manufacturers recommend you replace your brush every 12-16 weeks.
Novashine Tips for Healthy Teeth
Set a timer
Sometimes it’s hard to tell how long you’ve brushed your teeth for! We recommend setting a timer on your phone for 2 minutes, and brushing until the alarm goes off!
Brush in a circular motion
Brushing in a circular motion covers the entire surface area of your teeth! This prevents buildup of plaque and tartar around your gum line.
Pick a soft bristled, electric toothbrush
Having a soft bristles electric toothbrush kills two birds with one stone. It prevents you from brushing too hard and damaging your gums because the brush does most of the work! The Novashine Sonic Toothbrush uses gentle DuPont bristles to protect your gums. It also offers 5 custom cleaning modes so you can brush your way while getting your teeth fully clean. Check out our blog on electric versus manual toothbrushes for more!
Replace your brush often
Your brush should be replaced often to ensure it’s not too dirty and still works properly! The Novashine Sonic Toothbrush offers replacement brush heads so electric toothbrush users can switch out brush heads instead of buying a whole new brush!
Rinse after meals, not after brushing
If rinsing your mouth helps you feel cleaner, we recommend using a mouthwash after meals! Brushing your teeth too often can damage your gums, so elect instead for a light mouthwash! The Novashine Natural Whitening Mouthwash has a subtle melon flavor rather than mint, leaving you feeling refreshed after a meal.
Conclusion
When in doubt, treat your teeth carefully! Your teeth are strong but plaque can eat away at them and leave you in a world of pain. We recommend checking out our oral care products such as our mouthwash, toothpaste, and sonic toothbrush to keep your teeth healthy and a bit whiter too!