Brush Right for Pearly Whites! Dental Resolutions 2018 Dental Resolution #1

Brush right way to keep those teeth healthy – two full minutes twice a day. Make it your Dental Resolution #1 for 2018.

You’d be amazed how many of us were never taught how to use a toothbrush correctly. Simply sticking a loaded brush in your mouth for a swift surface swipe doesn’t do the job, which is why we at Smile Store see so many people with preventable decay.

Keep a good habit or bad things happen

How many of us have fallen into bed – especially over the Christmas holidays- without brushing our teeth at all? Or bypassed that toothbrush on a busy morning hoping a mint will cover the noxious fumes of halitosis?

Brushing your teeth is a habit that takes a daily total of 4 minutes. Forgo this habit at your peril, and you’ll be facing much more than bad breath and yellow fangs. Poor oral hygiene can cause anything from heart disease or stroke to lung problems and inflammation throughout the whole body.

stylish-little-girl-with-bad — we all start out like this!

Brushing Teeth: When, why and how

We brush after breakfast in the morning to freshen up and get rid of the bacteria that have been growing overnight.

We brush before bed to sweep away the remains of food and drink that would encourage more bacteria while we snooze. Your saliva flow helps wash out the mouth by day, but it tends to dry up at night so the acids secreted by mouth bacteria are undiluted and very damaging to tooth enamel.

If using a manual toothbrush, we should choose a soft-medium bristled brush (hard bristles can damage teeth and gums); brush at a 45-degree angle towards the gum line, for a full two minutes.

Work systematically around the mouth, brushing the front and back of the teeth. You’ll need to make weird faces in the mirror if you’re brushing correctly!

Change your toothbrush at least every three months, or if the bristles start to fray. Using a worn-out toothbrush is useless for cleaning; you’re only pushing toothpaste around.

Don’t use anyone else’s toothbrush; the human mouth is jam-packed with millions of bacteria so introducing alien bacteria will cause problems. It’s also a good idea to bin your brush if you’ve been ill.

Lastly, nearly everybody spends too short a time brushing. Set your phone; get an egg timer or find a song that lasts two minutes- this way you can ensure you don’t miss any lurking plaque.

The easiest way to guarantee yourself a productive two minutes of brushing is to invest in an electric toothbrush – more on this later in the week!

For guidance on brushing technique; a fantastic professional clean and a great start to your year, make an appointment with our Dental Hygienist Jennifer here at Smile Store. Call us on 021 432 0004 or see smilestore2018.like.energy