Correct techniques for proper tooth brushing

In order for brushing to be effective, it is necessary to know the correct techniques that make it more efficient. In fact, there is little point in buying the best toothbrush we sell at Foramen if we don’t know how to clean our teeth.

Fortunately, we are talking about very simple techniques that are perfected over the weeks, becoming masters in just a few months practicing them.

Which angle is the right one?

One of the most common mistakes when brushing our teeth is how we place the toothbrush. We almost always rest all the bristles on our teeth and gums, which is a mistake that prevents us from cleaning our mouth properly.

So, what you have to do is to tilt it about 45 degrees (more or less, it doesn’t have to be a perfect angle) with respect to the gums. This allows the brush to clean the entire tooth, gums and interdental spaces.

It can be said that, in this way, there is not a single place that the bristles of the toothbrush cannot reach, which is better to have a medium hardness in order not to spoil the enamel or damage the gum line.

How does the brush move?

Specialists know how to move the toothbrush in order to obtain the best possible toothbrushing.

We can start with small and soft circular movements. Through them we will clean the outer surface of the teeth. Here, it is crucial not to execute very long horizontal movements, as the gums will end up being damaged.

Then it is time to perform what is known as a vertical sweep. This is done inside the front teeth by means of upward and downward movements.

The chewing surfaces are cleaned with gentle back-and-forth movements. Make sure you get everywhere, leaving no furrow or crevice to be cleaned.

What does the quadrant technique consist of?

A good brushing should last a minimum of two minutes. For this reason, there is this technique that divides the mouth into quadrants to which 30 seconds are dedicated. In fact, some electric toothbrushes give warnings when that half minute has passed.

There are two upper quadrants and two lower quadrants. Each quadrant, right and left, goes from the last molar to the front teeth.

With this division we know that, at least, we will brush each of these quadrants for 30 minutes, which is enough to have a healthy mouth.

Is it necessary to clean the tongue?

It is not uncommon to brush our teeth and have bad breath. We immediately wonder how that can be, since we have removed all the bacteria by brushing.

The answer is on the tongue. It accumulates a huge amount of germs and that is why it contributes so much to bad breath. as well as tooth degradation.

By leaving the tongue unbrushed, bacteria will remain in the mouth. It is true that they will be present in a smaller quantity, but they will be present and will do their job.

Thus, it is always necessary to clean the tongue. They sell special brushes, but with any of the ones we have in Foramen we can leave it spotless.

Just put a little toothpaste on it, squeeze out as much as you can and clean it from the back to the front with very gentle movements and without pressing.

We will notice that our breath does not smell and even that food tastes different, since a clean tongue perceives taste better.

Additional tips

For optimal brushing, we can follow a series of tips that will help us to improve the technique.

Using a timer

If we get confused about the time we dedicate to brushing, a good idea is to set a timer. We all carry one in our cell phones and we can place two minutes or 30 seconds, which will help us to follow the technique of the quadrants.

Is over-brushing harmful?

Mouth hygiene is very important, as is good brushing technique. However, excess is bad, since the only thing we achieve is to wear down our dental enamel and gum recession.

It should never be done more than three times a day as a general rule. One day, for example, if we eat sweets between meals, it is possible to brush once or twice more, but this should never become a habit.

The defect is as bad as the excess and obsessing about oral health does not lead to anything, only to harm our teeth.

In fact, if one day it is impossible for us to brush our teeth after eating, nothing happens. We will be able to resort to sugar-free chewing gum as an emergency solution to reduce plaque and brush when we have the opportunity.