How to Brush Your Teeth: Steps, Importance & Some Tips for You!

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Brushing teeth is the most important thing for maintaining oral health. It comes first in removing plaque from the teeth. There are some things we need to pay attention to when implementing this step. It is necessary to pay attention to important issues such as the duration of tooth brushing, how often to brush, or the choice of toothbrush.

  • BRUSHING TEETH WITH 6 STEPS CAN MAINTAIN PROPER ORAL CARE
  • WETTING TOOTHBRUSH BEFORE BRUSHING IS NOT NECESSARY
  • THE MOST EFFECTIVE ONE IS THE 3-3-3 RULE OF BRUSHING TEETH
  • THERE ARE 9 TYPES OF TOOTHBRUSHES
  • BRUSHING TOO MUCH IS HARMFUL TO TOOTH ENAMEL
  • DENTAL PROBLEMS MAINLY OCCUR BECAUSE OF NOT BRUSHING TEETH
  • YOU SHOULD FIND THE MOST EFFECTIVE TOOTHBRUSH AMONG ALTERNATIVES

How to Brush Your Teeth in 6 Steps

Healthy and correct tooth brushing is very easy in 6 steps. Your dental care will be at its maximum level with the following steps:

  • Apply a toothpaste to your toothbrush, and the toothpaste should be pea-sized.
  • Place the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gums, and start with circular movements.
  • Move the toothbrush to your molars and continue brushing with back-and-forth movements.
  • Then, clean the inner surfaces of your teeth.
  • Continue brushing your teeth for at least 2 minutes.
  • Brush your tongue with gentle movements after your teeth.

Should I Wet My Toothbrush Before Brushing?

No. You actually should not wet the toothbrush before brushing your teeth. Saliva is sufficient for toothpaste to foam.

When the toothbrush is wet, the bristles become softer than they normally should be. This makes brushing teeth difficult and destroys its effect. It may also cause toothpaste to lose its active ingredient.

There is even such a thing as dry brushing. It is the same as the normal tooth-brushing process, but in this version, there is no need for toothpaste or water. The hardness of the toothbrush filament is enough to get rid of dental plaque.

When Is It Better to Brush Your Teeth?

It is best to brush your teeth as soon as you wake up in the morning, about 30 minutes after meals at noon, and at night.

The American Dental Association (ADA) emphasizes the importance of brushing at least twice a day, but three times is also great.

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You can also integrate the 3-3-3 rule of brushing into your life. This rule involves brushing 3 parts of the mouth (front, back, and chewing surfaces) for 3 minutes, 3 times a day.

What Types of Toothbrushes Are There?

There are 9 types of toothbrushes. The functions of each vary depending on your needs and expectations.

  • Manual toothbrush: It is the traditional one that requires manual motions to brush.
  • Electric toothbrush: A motor makes rapid automatic bristle movements that oscillate back and forth or rotate to clean the teeth.
  • Orthodontic toothbrush: These are brushes specially designed to clean braces and around brackets.
  • Miswak: It is a stick made from Salvadora persica tree branches, which has a natural anti-microbial effect.
  • Chewable toothbrush: It is an all-in-one type. It is a toothbrush that is placed inside the mouth and does not require water.
  • Disposable toothbrush: It is suitable for single use. It is thrown away after use.
  • Kids toothbrush: It is like an adult brush but smaller in size to fit children’s hands and more suitable for their mouths.
  • Finger toothbrush: A finger toothbrush is a brush with bristles on the tip designed to be worn on an adult’s finger. It is used to clean babies’ teeth.
  • Interdental toothbrush: It has small bristle brushes and is produced in different sizes to fit tooth gaps. It helps clean between teeth.

Which Toothbrush Is Better for You?

It is important to choose a toothbrush based on your needs and expectations. This way, you can prevent any dental problems by getting rid of food residues correctly.

All toothbrush types come in three subtypes. These are soft, medium, and hard. Dentists recommend choosing a soft-bristle brush. Softness is important so as not to hurt the teeth and gums.

The important point about toothbrushes is that the American Dental Association recommends that the size and shape of your toothbrush be such that it reaches all areas and underlines that you should change the toothbrush every 3 or 4 months.

TOOTHBRUSH TYPEUSERS
Manual toothbrush
  • Everyone who can control it can use it.
  • Soft ones should be chosen.
Electric toothbrush
  • Everyone who can control it can use it, but especially it is for people who suffer from arthritis.
Orthodontic toothbrush
  • People who have braces, brackets, or other dental appliances can use it.
Miswak
  • Everyone can use it.
Chewable toothbrush
  • People who can’t hold the brush can use it.
Disposable toothbrush
  • Anyone or people who go on a trip can use it.
Kids toothbrush
  • Kids can use it until the age of 10.
Finger toothbrush
  • People who want to clean babies’ gums can use it.
Interdental toothbrush
  • People who have wide gaps between teeth and people who have dental appliances can use it.

Can You Brush Your Teeth Too Much?

There are limits and rules for brushing teeth. Excessive brushing can be even harmful to your dental health.

Brushing your teeth too much will not be beneficial but harmful. It can erode the dentin and cementum structures, and then the tooth enamel. This can cause problems such as tooth sensitivity and gum recession.

Two times a day, a maximum of three times, and gentle movements are essential in tooth brushing.

What Happens If You Don't Brush Your Teeth?

Skipping the tooth-brushing step is the biggest problem for teeth. As a result of not brushing your teeth, bacteria, and plaque build up on your teeth. This causes many dental problems.

  • TOOTH DECAY
  • GUM DISEASE
  • BAD BREATH
  • TARTAR

How to Brush Your Teeth with Miswak

With the antimicrobial properties of miswak, you can also maintain dental hygiene by brushing your teeth with miswak without any additives.

  • Peel the miswak stick to benefit from the fibers inside.
  • Moisten the miswak stick with water.
  • Place the wet end of the miswak on the back of the teeth and hold it at a 45-degree angle.
  • Brush teeth along the gum line with gentle, circular movements for 3 minutes.
  • Then, rinse your mouth with water to get rid of any residue.

Is Miswak a Good Option for Oral Hygiene?

Many clinical studies have proven that using miswak is a good option for oral hygiene. Salvadora persica largely destroys plaque and bacteria.

It has been stated that it is like brushing your teeth and that they have the same function. 

Just like a toothbrush, using Miswak alone is not enough. Flossing, mouthwashing, and tongue cleaning need to be added to your routine.

How to Brush Your Tooth Without a Brush

There are alternatives when you don’t have a toothbrush.

  • You can wrap a clean cloth or paper towel around your finger and rub the surfaces of your teeth.
  • You can apply a small amount of toothpaste to your finger, and in this way, you can benefit from fluoride even if you don’t have a toothbrush.
  • Sugarless gum can also prevent the formation of plaque and bacteria.
  • Rinsing your mouth with water can also be a good alternative, as it will rid you of food particles.

However, these are temporary solutions. They do not replace toothbrushes and pastes.

REFERENCES:

1-) Attin T, Hornecker E. Tooth brushing and oral health: how frequently and when should tooth brushing be performed? Oral Health Prev Dent. 2005;3(3):135-40. PMID: 16355646.

2-) Ashley P. Toothbrushing: why, when and how? Dent Update. 2001 Jan-Feb;28(1):36-40. doi: 10.12968/denu.2001.28.1.36. PMID: 11819948.

3-) Patil SP, Patil PB, Kashetty MV. Effectiveness of different tooth brushing techniques on the removal of dental plaque in 6-8 year old children of Gulbarga. J Int Soc Prev Community Dent. 2014 May;4(2):113-6. doi: 10.4103/2231-0762.138305. PMID: 25254196; PMCID: PMC4170543.

4-) Krause L, Seeling S, Prütz F, Wager J. Toothache, tooth brushing frequency and dental check-ups in children and adolescents with and without disabilities. J Health Monit. 2022 Mar 30;7(1):48-60. doi: 10.25646/9565. PMID: 35434500; PMCID: PMC9009068.

5-) Weik U, Shankar-Subramanian S, Sämann T, Wöstmann B, Margraf-Stiksrud J, Deinzer R. “You should brush your teeth better”: a randomized controlled trial comparing best-possible versus as-usual toothbrushing. BMC Oral Health. 2023 Jul 6;23(1):456. doi: 10.1186/s12903-023-03127-3. PMID: 37415160; PMCID: PMC10327354.

6-) Moeintaghavi A, Sargolzaie N, Rostampour M, Sarvari S, Kargozar S, Gharaei S. Comparison of Three types of Tooth Brushes on Plaque and Gingival Indices: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Open Dent J. 2017 Feb 28;11:126-132. doi: 10.2174/1874210601711010126. PMID: 28357006; PMCID: PMC5345328.

7-) Rahman H. Comparison of Manual Toothbrushes with Different Bristle Designs in Terms of Cleaning Efficacy and Plaque Control: A Pilot Study. Indian J Community Med. 2023 Jan-Feb;48(1):108-111. doi: 10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_404_22. Epub 2023 Feb 1. PMID: 37082387; PMCID: PMC10112751.

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