Brushing

When it comes to tooth brushing, not only is there proper techniques, strokes, strength but also types of brushes both manual and electric. Where do you begin!

Lets talk technique!

First and foremost it doesn't matter what you are using if you are not using it correctly to begin with. The handling of your toothbrush is step 1!

TEST YOUR GRIP

To test how hard your gripping and brushing take your toothbrush in your dominant hand and place it between your thumb and ring finger only! using those two fingers gently attempt to brush your teeth while watching your other fingers tense as it feels like the brush is slipping away. As we are very used to a firm grip on our brush with a full palm grasp as we engage our biceps power to scrub away! We need to lessen the grip as much as we can while maintaining a light,  even pressure along the tooth surface! This little test will heighten your consciousness on how far your grip is from the light stroke it could be! Gentle strokes are important to ensure we do not cause abrasion and wear down our enamel surface quicker than required. This grip and heavy pressure can lead to gum recession and sensitivity even in young otherwise healthy mouths! 

IT IS ALL ABOUT THE ANGLES

The direction of your brush strokes could also use an upgrade! When we are young kids we start off with a beautiful 90 Degree circular motion as a simple starter technique, which is easy for children to adapt!  Getting kids interested and excited to brush is the main goal of this technique and should shortly be upgraded to a gentle back, forth and sweep away motion to stop the circular movement of the bacteria back into the gums! 

The method of back and forth strokes starting at the gumline working the way slowly down the tooth and sweeping away is called the Modified Stillman's method and is highly recommended. if using a manual toothbrush you want to angle the brush bristles at a 45degree angle, with the bristles facing the gums. Gently start brushing along the gumline of 1 to 2 teeth wide at a time and work your way down the tooth to the biting edge and flick away from the tooth! Then advance to the next tooth and continue this pattern along the way! We recommend starting on the top right, back molars, first and working your way up to the front teeth.  Now that you have reached the front you can slowly work your way back to the molars on the biting surfaces angling your brush parallel to the tooth surface. Once you are back at your furthest molar you want to reach the brush around to the inside (palate/tongue side or opposite side than previously brushed) and angle your brush at 45degree angle again and repeat the same back, forth, and sweep brush strokes back to the front teeth. We love brushing in Quadrants from one direction across and back to ensure you get used to a pattern style of brushing and you don't miss a spot! Where you start is completely up to you!

There are other methods based off gum health that can increase the reduction of bacteria while caring for gum sensitivity and care at the same time. If you have any questions on which techniques is best for your gum health ask us at your next hygiene appointment or come in for a gum assessment!