Healthy habits are great, but moderation is necessary for your overall health. Brushing your teeth is an essential habit, but doing so too vigorously or too frequently does more damage than good. Therefore, toothbrushing is another habit that requires moderation. Yes, you can brush your teeth too much.
When Brushing Does Harm
Proper toothbrushing requires the proper frequency, tools, and technique. Brushing too often irritates the gums and wears down tooth enamel. Brushing with a hard bristle brush may not damage the tooth enamel on its own, but it will harm the gums even if you do not brush more than twice a day. And even with a soft bristle brush, aggressive brushing can cause gum recession. This exposes sensitive root surfaces and may make teeth feel sore when eating cold, hot, or sweet foods. Therefore, let’s discuss the appropriate amount of time that you should brush, the correct tools, and the right technique.
How Much Time Should I Spend Brushing
The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends brushing twice a day for two minutes each time. Certainly, there’s nothing wrong with brushing your teeth after your lunch time meal if you want to brush “morning, noon, and night.” Even then, however, you will note that five to six minutes a day of toothbrushing is enough! Beyond that is more than good oral health requires. Replace your toothbrush every three to four months, or sooner if the bristles look frayed. Frayed bristles do not clean well and may cause gum irritation.
Choose the Right Tools
The message from the ADA is to only use soft-bristled toothbrushes. After many years, the result is that most retailers only offer this type of toothbrush. If you ever come across a hard or medium toothbrush, don’t even think about it. Even if you believe it will help you remove more tartar or plaque, the risk to your gum health is not worth it.
The other important toothbrushing tool is your toothpaste. While any toothpaste approved by the ADA is considered safe for use, some formulas contain more abrasive ingredients than others. This is an important consideration for our Placerville clients with thin enamel. Continued use of tooth whitening toothpastes especially may cause excessive enamel wear. Bear this in mind when making your toothpaste choices. In all cases, tooth whitening is best managed with the assistance of your dentist and not via over-the-counter materials and devices.
Correct Brushing Techniques
The key for toothbrushing is to take a gentle approach. Hold the bristles at a 45-degree angle towards the gum line. You want to move the bristles in a circular motion around each tooth. Never scrape or rub back-and-forth.
Brush the entire area of each tooth: the outer surface, inner surface, and chewing surface. Only apply light pressure. Let the bristles do the cleaning.
Dental Visits Are Important
Moderation keeps oral hygiene helpful instead of harmful. Regular dental visits also help your dentist spot early signs of enamel wear, gum recession, or cavities before they become bigger problems. Plus, the removal of tartar during your teeth cleaning is a boon to your tooth!
Keep up with proper oral hygiene and you can avoid the typical risks that lead to emergency dental care. But when sudden pain or dental damage occurs, the Placerville Dental Group is prepared! Call or schedule a visit online if you notice tooth sensitivity, gum pain, a broken tooth, or any urgent dental concern.
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