What Is the Proper Way to Brush Teeth?

Brushing teeth is one of the basic things we were taught as kids. And for most people, brushing is not something that has crossed their minds a lot since then. Well, you know brushing your teeth is vital for your oral health, and you’ve been doing it almost daily since childhood.

But have you ever asked yourself what the proper way to brush teeth is? And if there is, do you brush your teeth in the right way?

Brushing your teeth properly will help prevent oral conditions such as tooth decay and gingivitis, according to an orthodontist in Washington DC. This translates to strong, healthy teeth and gums, giving you a beautiful smile.

However, if you don’t brush properly, you’ll cause more harm than good to your teeth.

By brushing your teeth properly, you can avoid multiple oral issues and achieve good overall wellbeing. To help you out, here’s a tooth brushing guide to ensure you’re doing it right.

Use the Right Toothbrush

Getting the right toothbrush is the first step of brushing your teeth. It determines if all the plague will be removed from your teeth or not. Therefore, choosing the perfect brush is non-negotiable if you want to maintain proper oral health care.

For most people, a soft-bristled toothbrush will be a perfect choice. This is because soft bristles perform superior clean; they bend and reach areas that other strands can’t.

In addition, they help people have healthier gums. They massage your gums evenly, thus improving blood flow across them. This helps to supply oral tissues with the nutrients they want.

Moreover, choose a brush with a small head to reach all your teeth while brushing them. Its handle should perfectly fit in your hand to enable you to brush your teeth properly.

It’s unwise to use toothbrushes with stiff bristles. Depending on how strenuously you brush your teeth, such brushes can damage your gums, roots, and tooth enamel. Also, don’t use toothbrushes with natural bristles because they can keep bacteria.

If you’ve got a toothbrush that has served you for a long time, replace it. Its bristles might be worn out, frayed, and no longer stiff to properly clean your teeth.

Use the Right Toothpaste

Choosing the right toothpaste for your teeth may be overwhelming. There are multiple toothpaste brands out there that might confuse you. All of them are different in regards to their purpose, features, and flavors.

While finding the right toothpaste, you’ll find brands used to whiten and desensitize teeth. Others are meant to control tartar and strengthen teeth. So, it’s wise to select whichever brand matches your taste.

Additionally, select a toothpaste that contains fluoride. Fluoride helps to strengthen the tooth enamel and remove the plaque that causes tooth cavities. Also, it prevents tooth decay by making teeth more resistant to acids contained in foods.

Use the Correct Brushing Technique

Brushing teeth may not be as easy as you think. Correct brushing tips need to be adopted if you want to leave your teeth sparkling clean.

First, wet your toothbrush and apply a pea-sized amount of toothpaste to it. Then, start by brushing your upper molars on one side of your mouth before moving to the next. Hold your brush at a 45-degree angle and brush your teeth in a clockwise motion for about 20 seconds.

After 20 seconds, turn your brush away from the gum line to enable it to sweep the surface of your teeth. The plaque and food particles will be removed from the teeth during this process. Then, continue working in the clockwise direction to clean up the lower molars on the other side of your mouth.

After that, brush the back surface of the upper front teeth using the tip of your toothbrush head. Point the bristles towards your gum line and use a flicking motion down on the tooth’s surface. Repeat this step two or three times to achieve a more rigorous clean.

Following, brush behind the lower front teeth. Flick the bristles at the head of your toothbrush up and away from the gum line in a sweeping motion. For a more thorough clean, repeat this step twice or thrice.

Finally, brush the biting surfaces of the Lower and upper molars and premolars. Use a circular motion while doing the brushing to remove any plaque.

Brush Your Tongue and Inside of the Cheeks

Teeth aren’t the only part of your mouth that requires thorough cleaning. Your tongue, inside of your cheeks, and the palate can also hold onto bacteria, plaque, and food particles. So, just like the teeth, these areas deserve proper cleaning to prevent bad breath.

It’s recommended to brush the tongue and palate in a circular, gentle motion. Also, use fresh toothpaste to remove the bacteria that grow on these areas because they’re challenging to remove. When brushing your tongue, reach as far as is comfortable in your mouth.

Brush for Long and Be Gentle

Brushing your teeth too quickly is wrong, even though it can be boring. You might leave food particles that may cause tooth decay by doing so. Also, you can damage or weaken your tooth enamel from abrasion.

Work your way slowly around your mouth and spend more than ten seconds on every part to be safe. Overall, spend at least two to three minutes brushing your teeth.

On top of that, refrain from vigorous brushing to avoid damaging your gums and tooth enamel. To know whether you’re brushing too hard, check your toothbrush to confirm for how long it serves you before being worn out. If it becomes worn out quickly, don’t hesitate to change your brushing method.

Rinse Your Toothbrush

Once you finish brushing your teeth, don’t forget to rinse them properly. This is because it contains many bacteria from your mouth that might be reintroduced back if they aren’t cleaned.

Therefore, wash your toothbrush under running water for a few seconds, then set it in an open place to dry out.

This Is the Proper Way to Brush Teeth

Your teeth are one of the essential parts of your body. Thus, it would be best to take good care of them by brushing them properly. Proper brushing will help prevent tooth decay, gingivitis, gum damage, and tooth abrasion.

We hope you’ve found this article on the proper way to brush teeth informative. If yes, check out for more educative blogs from our website.