What is the correct way to brush your teeth? And how long should you spend brushing them?
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Answers:
I've worked in a dental office assisting and stuff, and a lot of my family members are dentists, so I've had to grow up learning about the right way to brush your teeth. This is actually an EXCELLENT question, as you will find many people simply don't know. Therefore, I'm very glad you asked!
The "correct" way is actually a combination. Think of your mouth as having four quadrants. You have the top left, bottom left, top right, and bottom right fourths of your mouth. Generally you should spend 30 seconds per quadrant, focusing on moving your brush in little circles on your teeth. You want to also "brush" your gums in this manner. You can also take your brush and go up and down across your teeth, but it can be harder to do this in the back.
Also, you need to focus on the fact that each tooth has five surfaces that need to be cleaned. Of course you hear the fact that you need to floss frequently, and this is imperative. Those are two of the five surfaces when you take the floss down beside both sides of your tooth. Of course, the other three are the front, chewing surface, and back. You need to adequately brush ALL of the surfaces. It is also important to remember to brush your tongue afterwards (before you rinse) so that you can remove the plaque and everything that has collected on your tongue. Always floss before you brush for the same reasons. This will loosen things up and then you will brush it away better.
Another thing to remember is that more time and harder brushing is not necessarily BETTER. You need to brush WELL and get everything clean, but it does not mean that you need a hard-bristled brush where you scrub your teeth for 30 minutes a day. The goal is to remove the plaque, not polish a tire! If you brush too hard and too long, you can actually wear down the enamel on your teeth (the hard, protective top surface), and cause more problems.
Mouthwash can be useful if you are prone to gingivitis or your dentist recommends it. You probably don't need to use it every single time you brush, however.
The ideal dental care comes from brushing after you eat each meal (or 2-3 times a day), flossing once a day, and seeing your dentist twice a year, or more, if necessary.
Good luck! :-D
Other Answers:
i think 15 mins is bad for your teeth
I just brush and floss without thinking about it and I haven't had any cavities in years. Also you should use mouthwash too. Also, if you spend 15 minutes brushing your teeth, your gums will eventually bleed. I think just hit the back front and sides of all your teeth and your fine, it doesn't matter if you go left to right or in circles or whatever.
It only takes about 3 minutes to get your mouth clean. If you are seriously brushing for 15, that is bad for your enamel and gums.
Mine says a circular motion for 2 minutes. the best way my dentist told me is to do circles. 15 min. for brushing is a LOT and can actually damage your gums because of all the scraping you are doing. you should go at least 2 min. and no more than 4.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brushing_Teeth
Hope this helps
I think the correct way to brush your teeth is in circular motions.And you should only brush every side and your tongue then stop. My dentist (who is great by the way) told me that the best way to brush is in circles. The length of your favorite song is what he tells me is the best gauge of time is to brush your teeth.
Good Luck
Brushing your teeth is very important to have good oral care. I don't believe their is just one correct way to brush your teeth. That has been a great debate topic for years. What is important is that you brush the front and back of ALL teeth at least twice a day. Remember that the purpose of brushing is to remove the excess plaque buildup before it hardens on the teeth (once that happens, it can only be removed by dental instruments). Another important step to having good clean teeth is to floss and use mouth wash regularly. This will also help provide healthy gums. You brush your teeth for 3 min.
In the front, you brush either up and down or in a circular motion.
In the back, you brush side to side.
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