Brushing your teeth: 5 bad habits to kick

When brushing your teeth becomes automatic, it’s easy to become careless and develop bad habits, harming your oral health. Here are five bad practices you should avoid.

1. Brushing too fast. Do you scrub your teeth a few times and call it a day? Don’t! This doesn’t give your toothpaste enough time to do its job. It also doesn’t leave enough time to clean hard-to-reach areas. You should always brush for at least two minutes.

2. Brushing too hard. Pressing too hard and overzealously brushing your teeth can injure your gums. Over time, it can cause your teeth to become loose.

3. Brushing horizontally. Besides the tips of your teeth, which are used to grind food, brushing from left to right is terrible for your gums. Moreover, it doesn’t allow you to reach every nook and cranny. Instead, brush your upper and lower teeth vertically, from the gum to the tooth.

4. Rinsing your mouth right after brushing. Of course, you should spit out excess toothpaste when you’re finished. However, avoid gargling with water, which will wash away the toothpaste’s active ingredients.

5. Brushing right after a meal. Eating increases the acidity in your mouth. Acid can damage your enamel. Therefore, it’s best to brush your teeth at least 30 minutes after eating a meal, so the pH in your mouth has time to stabilize.

The next time you brush your teeth, pay attention to what you’re doing and correct any bad habits.

USE THE RIGHT TOOTHBRUSH!
Choose a toothbrush with soft bristles that gently adapt to the shape of your teeth and slide easily under your gums. Replace your brush every three months or when the bristles become damaged. Finally, rinse your brush after every use and store it upright to allow it to dry properly and prevent the growth of bacteria.