How to brush your teeth correctly

It’s amazing to think that so many people are doing this wrong.

There is a correct way to brush your teeth and here’s how.

1. Start with the angle of your toothbrush. This should be a 45-degree angle to your gums.
2. Move your brush in a circular motion around each tooth.
3. Brush the outside, inside and top/bottom parts of your teeth.
4. Lastly, brush your tongue which helps remove bacteria from inside your mouth, giving you fresher breath.
5. Make sure you’re brushing your teeth at least twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the evening. You can also brush after each meal.

There is more to oral hygiene than just brushing your teeth like flossing:

1. Floss once per day
2. Make sure you floss before you brush your teeth
3. Use about 30-40cm of floss and wrap around 1 finger on your left hand and 1 finger on your right hand.
4. Slip the floss between 2 teeth and move it up toward your gums as far as it will go.
5. Pull the floss back and forward a few times to dislodge food and plaque.

Should I use mouthwash?

Yes, you should use mouthwash but not straight after brushing your teeth. Wait 30 minutes before using mouthwash.

A great healthy alternative to using mouthwash is to do oil pulling. This can be done with either coconut oil or sesame seed oil. Oil pulling helps reduce plaque. This should be done on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning.

How to oil pull

1. Start with a tablespoon of oil and swish it around your mouth for 20 minutes
2. Spit the oil out into a bin and rinse your mouth out, make sure it’s in a bin and not down the sink as the oil will harden again and block the drain.
3. Rinse your mouth out either with warm water and salt or just water

For studies on oil pulling click here.

5 common mistakes when brushing your teeth.

1. The bristles are too hard. It doesn’t take a lot to clean your teeth well. Most people opt for a hard bristle because they think it will clean their teeth better. But this isn’t the case, using a soft or medium bristled toothbrush is enough to clean the plaque and food off of your teeth.
2. You brush too hard. Some people brush their teeth as though they’re cleaning their toilet. Scrubbing as hard as they can to remove food. But you end up removing some of the surfaces of your teeth. All that is a required is a massaging of the teeth with your toothbrush.
3. You don’t brush for long enough. It’s important to brush every tooth. You should aim to brush for 2 minutes, giving 30 seconds to 1 quarter of your teeth – top left teeth, top right teeth, bottom left teeth and bottom right teeth.
4. You don’t change your toothbrush regularly. A toothbrush should be changed every 3 months at least. If you have been sick, then you should change the toothbrush shortly after. If you hold on to the toothbrush too long, the bristles become bent and become less effective.
5. You move back and forward with your toothbrush. As mentioned earlier, the motion of your toothbrush should be circular and not back and forward.

With these tips, you should be able to practice great oral hygiene and have cleaner teeth and better-smelling breath.

It’s also important to note the kind of toothbrush you are using. Due to the problems of plastic pollution, it’s vital that you stop using plastic toothbrushes and switch to a more eco-friendly alternative. Now there are many options on the market such as bamboo toothbrushes.