Your oral hygiene practice may feel like second nature after a lifetime of brushing your teeth every day.
Incorrect brushing, on the other hand, can result in a variety of issues with your teeth, tongue, and gums. It’s critical to clean your teeth properly since your dental health has a cascading influence on your overall health.
Brushing your teeth is necessary, but it’s all too easy to overdo it. Up to 90% of us wash our teeth excessively, which, ironically, causes the precise dental problems we’re attempting to prevent. If you’re worried about overbrushing, here are five indicators to watch out for.
BLEEDING GUMS
If you spit and notice a streak of red, you may be injuring your gums by pushing too hard or brushing too often. When the thinnest layer of gum around the tooth is irritated and injured, bleeding gums can occur. This can happen if you brush too often and don’t let the gum heal on its own. If you have dental implants, you may have damaged the gum’s delicate layer, exposing the implant’s abutment. Keep a watchful eye on your gums and visit your dentist if you suspect they’ve been harmed.
TEETH THAT ARE SENSITIVE
If you’ve had sensitive teeth in the past and found relief from medicated toothpaste or dental procedures, but the sensitivity returns every few weeks. Brushing too hard or too frequently tears away the protective enamel coating on the tooth, exposing sensitive nerves to cold and hot temperatures. If your tooth enamel is damaged, oral health professionals will be able to notice immediately away and provide you advice on how to cure it.
Tooth sensitivity is another negative effect of forceful brushing. If you notice that your teeth are sensitive to hot and cold, as well as sweet meals, it’s possible that you’re brushing too hard. However, it’s possible that it’s related to anything else, so chat with our experts to be careful. At the very least, we can suggest better brushing practices and a good sensitive formula toothpaste.
AFTER-MEALS BRUSHING
Foods and drinks heavy in sugars/carbohydrates, in general, may increase the growth of bacteria in your mouth. For 20-30 minutes, these bacteria will eat away at your tooth enamel (protective layer). Please keep in mind that while brushing your teeth right away may seem suitable, it is not always the best option.
In a bitter irony, the counsel provided to many of us when we were younger has been found to destroy teeth rather than protect them. Some of us still brush after every meal, as well as right after waking up and right before bed, putting us at a staggering 5-6 times per day. Brushing after a meal not only damages tooth enamel and may irritate gums, but it also wears down teeth at a time when acid levels are at their maximum. Sugary and acidic foods soften enamel during a meal and brushing afterward simply wears teeth down more quickly. Brushing before a meal can help to mitigate the negative effects, but it is no longer regarded necessary.
In addition, dentists advise avoiding foods high in sugars or carbs in your diet to avoid enamel degradation.
Sodas (both regular and diet) are heavy in sugar and phosphoric acid, for example. This can result in significant enamel loss and long-term damage. To optimize your dental health, reduce or eliminate your regular usage of certain soft drinks.
PROBLEMS ORTHODONTICS
Orthodontic treatments cause many to become paranoid about their teeth. While it is true that braces and dental implants require special attention to stay healthy, overbrushing might exacerbate the problem. Avoid misaligning your braces, knocking out dental bridges, or wearing down cosmetic treatments, since this may result in more visits to your dentist and possibly complicate future treatments. If you’re having trouble with your braces, please visit our Glasgow clinic and one of our dentists will be pleased to help you.
Occlusion is the term for how your teeth align and meet. When your jaw is closed and the top surfaces of your molars line up, the upper teeth usually lie over the lower teeth. Teeth, on the other hand, do not always line up. Malocclusion is a type of tooth misalignment that can lead to major oral health issues.
DAMAGE TO YOUR TOOTHBRUSH
Brushes should be replaced every 3-4 weeks, according to dental professionals, because the bristles will wear down over time, leaving minutely serrated edges that can damage the teeth’s surfaces. New toothbrushes have rounded tips on the bristles, which are gentler on the teeth and more effective at cleaning. It could be an indication of overbrushing if you find yourself replacing your toothbrush more regularly. Keep an eye out for splayed bristles, which indicate that you’re brushing too hard or too frequently.
USE A 45-DEGREE ANGLE TO BRUSH
Brushing your teeth is great, but what about the technique you’re employing? Are you brushing your teeth as they should be?
In the vast majority of cases, you aren’t, and this is a huge problem.
Brushing properly demands a 45-degree angle and stroking in the direction of your teeth’s growth rather than straight across. Take your time brushing in a methodical manner (two minutes). If you don’t, you’ll probably miss the hard-to-reach areas of your mouth. Each stroke should be accurate, soft, and deliberate. Please go as close to your gum line as possible, as germs can accumulate there and cause gingivitis/periodontitis.
Here’s a rundown of what the ideal brushing routine entails.
It is in your best interests to learn this and incorporate it into your daily routine for the best benefits. If you don’t, plaque, tartar, and germs will wreak havoc on your dental health.
The Steps to a Perfect Brushing Routine are as follows:
- Use Soft-Bristled Brush
- Clean Outer Surfaces of Teeth (Upper and Lower)
- Clean Inner Surfaces of Teeth (Upper and Lower)
- Brush Your Tongue
- Clean Chewing Surfaces (Upper and Lower)
Implementing these suggestions will result in the optimum brushing routine. Use this information to restructure or tweak your existing workout routine for better outcomes.