You mindlessly go through your daily routine of combing your hair, washing your face, brushing your teeth. But do you use the proper techniques to brush your teeth?

From biting down the food and giving you that pretty smile, your pearly whites are a vital part of your health. Take care of them by following a good oral care routine.

Brushing twice a day is the recommendation for healthy teeth, but that does not mean brushing in any manner will improve your oral health. Use these techniques to brush your teeth and, they will thank you.

Brush your teeth with these five simple steps

When your brush your teeth properly, it helps remove plaque and clean teeth and tongue from the bacteria that builds up. Proper brushing helps prevent tooth decay, gum disease and promotes a healthier life.

Step 1: Begin with your teeth’ outer surfaces.

Take your time! Brush your upper and lower teeth gently. Go tooth by tooth so that you miss no place.

Step 2: Tilt your brush at an angle of 45°.

Brush the gum to get rid of any trapped plaque or food scraps. Move back and forth gently using short tooth-wide strokes.

Step 3: Brush the inside of your teeth.

Insiders of our teeth have plaque and are not visible. Thus it is easy to overlook them. To clean the interior of the teeth, use a 45° angle to blow back and forth.

Step 4: Clean the chewing surfaces of your teeth.

Do not forget to clean the top of your back teeth with small strokes, where food can easily get caught.

Step 5: Brush the tongue.

Brush your tongue to remove the bacteria that causes odour in your breath.

Size

The toothbrushes are available in many sizes and shapes and can begin with little ones for children, all the way to big adult heads.

A toothbrush head should have easy access to all the surfaces of your teeth. A toothbrush head that is half an inch wide and one inch high is the easiest to use and most effective for most adults.

Make sure that the shape and the size of the toothbrush fit your mouth comfortably. The bristle of the toothbrush should be soft. The toothbrush should be sufficiently long so that you can grasp it comfortably in your hand.

Toothbrushes: Standard or Electric?

The standard toothbrush is the one with a plastic handle and nylon bristles which you use manually by your hand. The electric toothbrush is an automatic one with rotating and vibrating bristles that remove the plaque build-up on your teeth and gums.

The Electric toothbrush has a slight edge over the standard ones as the vibration and rotation movements help it clean more effectively. One more advantage is that an electric toothbrush is gentle on your gums and, some of them have inbuilt timers to help you brush for the correct amount of time.

But when considering the price of both these toothbrushes, electric ones are much more expensive than manual ones and, it is the deciding factor for most people. While an electric toothbrush has its advantages, you can still remove plaque and clean teeth effectively with a manual one. Use the proper brushing technique and brush for the right amount of time while brushing and, you will get effective results.

If you do not have budget constrain and find it difficult to brush with a manual one, go for an electric toothbrush. If price is an issue for you, choose a manual toothbrush and, it will work just as fine.

Safety

Brushing too vigorously may harm your gums and teeth. It may be much easier for you to be gentle with your gums and teeth while cleaning them with a powerful toothbrush at the same time.

Tips

Change your toothbrush once every three to four months as this is the life span of most toothbrushes before the bristles wear out.

Have a regular look at your toothbrush and change it when there is wear and tear of the bristles.

Also, change your toothbrush after a disease or infection to prevent reinfection through the toothbrush.

Always keep an extra toothbrush handy so that it becomes easy when you need a replacement.

Source — Oral healthcare