One in four adults brush their teeth just once a day, according to fascinatingly shocking research by National Smile Month. Yeuch!
We know you’re going to be brushing your teeth at least twice a day, but you could still be wasting your efforts and doing it all wrong.
Do you brush? Brush, wash then floss? Brush, floss then wash? Bad news, you’ve been doing it all wrong.
Apparently, we should all be using the floss-wash-brush regime twice a day. Think of the way you cleanse-tone-moisturise for your face, but this regime is for your teeth.
‘Ideally, you should finish your oral care routine by brushing your teeth. That way, the toothpaste stays in contact with your teeth and gums for longer and will therefore provide better protection.’
8 ways to brush your teeth right
1. Brush before breakfast
This is the ideal time as tooth decay is caused by the bacteria in our mouths using the food we eat to produce acid.
2. Avoid eating for an hour before bed
This is so the saliva in your mouth has a chance to clear away food debris and neutralise acid.
3. Use a pea sized amount of toothpaste
4. Don’t wet tooth bristles straight away
Avoid wetting the bristles on your brush straight away to improve plaque removal.
5. Choose alcohol free mouthwash
Alcohol is the main ingredient in a lot of products on the market because of its high ability to kill bad bacteria but it also kills good bacteria in the mouth.
6. Don’t forget to brush your tongue!
You need to brush your teeth to rid your mouth of the nasty bacteria. The best brush method for manual toothbrushes is to angle the brush at 45 degrees to the gum line. The average brush head will cover two teeth, clean around in a circular motion for around 5 seconds and then move forward one tooth at a time repeating the same circular cleaning action for five seconds.
7. Brush for two minutes, twice a day
Use the timer on your phone to ensure you are spending at least two minutes brushing your teeth (twice a day)
8. Sensitive or bleeding gums?
Use a rotating toothbrush. If you have just started flossing, your gums may be sore and might bleed but if you get into the routine of flossing then after a week or so the bleeding should stop. If you find your gums still bleed, see a dentist.
9. Remember the 4:2 rule
If you brush twice a day for two minutes each time, then your teeth are protected so you can eat four times throughout the day, so breakfast, lunch, tea and one snack.
If you eat or drink more than four times in a day, then it is important that you brush your three times a day.
