Brushing your teeth is a must for good oral hygiene, but are you sure you're cleaning yours as often as you should — and for the recommended amount of time? We reached out to a top-rated orthodontist for a definitive answer. Read on to make sure you've got your brushing basics down pat.
How often (and how long) should you brush your teeth each day?
Quick overview
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No surprises here: The American Dental Association recommends brushing twice a day for two minutes with a soft-bristle toothbrush. But pros say there's a bit more to the story.
"My personal recommendations as an orthodontist follow the recommendations of the ADA, with some additional supplements for optimum oral hygiene," said St. Louis-based Dr. Erin Fraundorf. "For my patients, I recommend [they] brush minimally twice daily for two-plus minutes each time."
The key word there is minimally. Fraundorf added that she suggests brushing a third or fourth time, "but never immediately after eating as it can cause enamel breakdown from the acidic oral environment formed during eating."
She also says that everyone should invest in an electric toothbrush for a more thorough cleaning as long as the bristles aren't too abrasive. "Always ensure it is a soft-bristle brush head, and change it at minimum every three months or more frequently if you're sick," she added.
Why is it important to brush for this long?
What we were taught as kids still applies: Failing to brush your teeth regularly leads to plaque buildup, which can cause complications that can make it much more difficult to maintain good oral hygiene.
"Brushing helps remove food particles, bacteria and plaque off of your teeth and other surfaces of your mouth," Fraundorf said. "Following eating, the bacteria in plaque consume food particles that it encounters and makes as a by-product of acid, which in turn breaks down tooth enamel and can lead to cavities."
She added that if this plaque isn't removed from brushing, it can combine with the minerals in your saliva and harden on your teeth, "turning into what we call calculus, or tartar." And once tartar forms on your teeth, it becomes harder to keep them clean and can lead to gum tissue inflammation and gum disease.
While maintaining a regular brushing routine is key, most people don't realize that it's actually possible to overdo it. Strike a balance.
"Overbrushing with excess force or frequency can lead to wearing away of gum tissue and enamel, which can lead to long-term tooth, gum and bone health and stability issues," Fraundorf explained.
She added that the easiest way to avoid both over- and underbrushing is by investing in an electric toothbrush with a built-in pressure sensor. Most brushes on the market have this feature.
"I love a toothbrush with a pressure sensor that lights up green when it's the perfect pressure and red when it's too hard," she said. "It eliminates the guesswork of determining how hard you should brush because there's no way to know until you see the consequences."
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Fraundorf recommends this popular electric toothbrush, a favorite among dental professionals for many reasons. It's rechargeable and travel-friendly, has a brushing timer and pressure sensor and features three cleaning modes (daily clean, sensitive and whitening).
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What other products are necessary for good oral hygiene?
In addition to an electric toothbrush with a built-in pressure sensor, Fraundorf recommends a toothpaste with fluoride or nano-hydroxyapatite, any kind of traditional floss, a water flosser, a tongue scraper and an alcohol-free mouth rinse. Alcohol "will create an acidic environment and actually promotes demineralization of your enamel," she said.
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Fraundorf suggests using both manual floss and a water flosser at least once a day. She said this cordless Oral-B with three cleaning modes is her favorite.
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According to Fraundorf, use a toothpaste with fluoride for better gum health. For patients with general sensitivity or sensitivity with teeth whitening, "I have them utilize a toothpaste that also has potassium nitrate," she added. This option from Sensodyne covers all bases.
Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste for at least two minutes each time you brush. This recommendation is from the American Dental Association. When you brush, you help take food and plaque off your teeth. Plaque is a sticky white film that forms on teeth.
Therefore, tooth brushing twice daily is recommended by most of the dentists in order to improve plaque control. This rule is followed by most of the patients taking care for their oral health and has shown to be effective in maintenance of oral health in numerous studies.
Brushing your teeth three times a day is not too frequent, but rather a good way to maintain good oral hygiene. Regular brushing helps remove plaque, prevent tooth decay, and keep your gums healthy.
In general, the American Dental Association suggests that people place the toothbrush against the gumline at a 45-degree angle to remove plaque from above and just below the gingival margin, and move the toothbrush gently back and forth in short strokes.
After even longer without brushing or flossing your teeth, tooth decay can advance into the inner layers of your teeth, causing more enamel to be broken down and exposing the soft parts (the dentin). The tooth pulp can also become exposed, which can lead to a higher risk for tooth pain and sensitivity.
Twice daily brushing is best for most people – but once a day is better than nothing! If you decide to brush once a day, consider timing it just before bed or just after waking. Also think about other dental care activities you can do. For example, recent research shows antiseptic mouth wash can help reduce plaque.
When you're looking to protect your tooth enamel, brushing right after you wake up in the morning is better than brushing your teeth after breakfast. If you have to brush your teeth after breakfast, try to wait at least 30 minutes before you brush.
Don't rinse with water straight after toothbrushing
After brushing, spit out any excess toothpaste. Don't rinse your mouth immediately after brushing, as it'll wash away the concentrated fluoride in the remaining toothpaste.
To ensure that you keep bacteria and plaque away, it is best to clean your tongue twice a day. A good rule of thumb is to brush or scrape your tongue right after you brush your teeth. Doing it before bed will help reduce the amount of bacteria able to grow, which reduces the chance of morning breath in the morning.
The brushing method recommended to general persons in Korea is the 3-3-3 brushing method campaign, which involves only toothbrushing behavior (the time and frequency); 3-3-3 means brushing one's teeth 3 times per day, within 3 minutes after having a meal, for at least 3 minutes each time.
The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends the 2/2 rule: brush for 2 minutes in the morning and 2 minutes at night with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste.
The ADA recommends that you start by positioning your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to your gums. The correct technique includes brushing with a gentle back-and-forth motion, in short strokes, not wider than the width of a tooth. Don't brush back and forth across the width of your mouth with sweeping strokes.
So, you forgot to brush your teeth before bed; that cannot be all that bad, right? You may be surprised to know that skipping just one night of brushing can lead to consequences that you might otherwise wish to avoid. Scientists have discovered more than 700 strands of bacteria that live in our mouths. Yuck!
What happens if you don't brush your teeth for a month. At about a month, serious changes are taking shape. The most notable problem a person will have is the presence of gum disease. With the build-up of plaque at the gum line and below the gum line, an individual may notice some swelling and reddening.
After a week, the enamel on your teeth will start to fail. The plaque that hasn't been removed will increase the development of bad breath. Cleaning a plaque-ridden tooth is difficult. If you don't brush your teeth for a week, you're more likely to develop cavities.
After a week, the enamel on your teeth will start to fail. The plaque that hasn't been removed will increase the development of bad breath. Cleaning a plaque-ridden tooth is difficult. If you don't brush your teeth for a week, you're more likely to develop cavities.
Patients who avoid flossing often have swollen, red gums that bleed almost as soon as their appointment begins. Bleeding gums are unhealthy gums and may be a sign of gum disease. Similarly to flossing, your dental team will also be able to tell if you don't brush your teeth often enough or even if you brush too hard.
“Failing to brush your teeth at the end of the day gives the bad bacteria in your mouth many hours to feast on the debris and release acids that cause tooth decay and gum disease,” Dr. Chase says. “It can also be enough time to allow some of the soft plaque to harden into calculus that you cannot remove by brushing.
How Often Do Americans Actually Brush Their Teeth? Good news is that according to a Delta Dental survey, 70 percent of Americans brush their teeth at least twice per day, recommended by dental health professionals as part of maintaining optimal oral health. They typically spend between 1 and 2 minutes brushing.
Introduction: My name is Dean Jakubowski Ret, I am a enthusiastic, friendly, homely, handsome, zealous, brainy, elegant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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