Heart Health: Don't Neglect Dental Care

Brush your teeth twice a day. This advice sounds easy enough, until you realize all the variables that are involved with brushing your teeth. What's the right type of toothbrush to use? What's the right technique? How long should you do it? With all the information out there today, it can be tough to get a simple answer to these types of questions. Brushing your teeth is obviously necessary for good hygiene and oral health, but doing it right is essential to reaping the benefits.

What Type Of Toothbrush Should You Use?

When shopping for a toothbrush, you've probably seen soft, medium, and hard bristles. Regardless of what you prefer, the American Dental Association recommends using a soft bristle; medium and hard bristles can wear down your teeth and gums. The head of the toothbrush should be small enough to move comfortably around your mouth. As for the question of electric versus manual, the ADA states that they are equally effective at cleaning your teeth, so you should just choose the toothbrush that will get you to brush twice a day.

What's The Right Brushing Technique?

While brushing side to side might be a popular technique, it's incorrect and can actually wear away at your gums. The right way to brush your teeth is to hold your toothbrush at a 45 degree angle and use a short, sweeping motion away from your gums. You can clean the inner surfaces of your teeth by vertically brushing up and down with the tip of your toothbrush. And don't forget to brush your tongue; doing so will avoid bad breath.

How Long Should You Brush For?

Not brushing long enough is the one mistake most people have in common. Throughout the course of a day, plaque builds up on your teeth, and plaque contains bacteria, so getting rid of all the plaque on your teeth is essential to avoiding cavities. To remove all the plaque from your teeth, you need to brush for at least two minutes. Two is the only number you need to remember when it comes to your dental hygiene; brush twice a day for two minutes at a time. Brushing your teeth while standing in your bathroom for two whole minutes might feel like forever, so try doing something while you're brushing, like listening to music or watching TV.

Brushing your teeth is second nature, so it's important to do it right so your teeth and gums can be healthy and happy.

To get professional dental care, contact an office such as Dental Care Of Scottsburg - Randol O Woolbright Jr DDS.