Are You Making These Brushing Boo-Boos?

Sure, you have fastidiously brushed your teeth two to three times a day since you were a kid. But even experience and dedication to this second-nature habit doesn’t mean you’ve perfected it. 

When you need care from a dentist, you want thoughtful and detailed providers who make you feel at ease, listen to any of your concerns, offer excellent service and work with you throughout your treatment. Perfect Smiles of Fairfield is proud to possess all of those qualities, as well as up-to-the-minute technology and knowledge.

About 25 percent of American adults don’t get treated for their tooth decay, so it’s no surprise that 50 percent of everyone age 30 or older has brewing or active gum disease. Yikes! Are you making mistakes that are easy to correct? Consider these:

Applying too much pressure: Pressing your manual or powered toothbrush heavily against your tooth and gums is no bueno. Healthy brushing is about gentle repetition, not force. Exerting a heavy hand wears away enamel and makes your gums recede. Use the same amount of compression needed to ring a doorbell. 

Overdosing on toothpaste. Covering the length of the top of the bristles is a common practice. The reality is that adults should cut it down to a blob the size of a pea. Toothpaste’s fluoride, which is a mineral, can alter a tooth’s form and construction. 

Skipping some “real estate.” The interior surfaces of your teeth aren’t visible or so easy to access, but they certainly require as much attention as the exterior surfaces. The inner sides are just as susceptible to plaque, tarter and your mouth’s hundreds of species of bacteria. 

Getting too attached to a toothbrush. Its bristles are good for three to four months. After that, they fray and splay, which does your teeth no favors. 

Putting it away the wrong way. Right after each use, rinse away leftover toothpaste and debris, and let it air-dry where it doesn’t touch other toothbrushes. Putting the head in one of those plastic covers or stowing the whole thing in a container keeps the bristles in a moist environment in which bacteria thrive. 

We here at Perfect Smiles of Fairfield are courteous, professional and friendly. We explain everything to our patients in simple terms and give them as much time as they need to ask questions. Everyone who uses us as their regular dental provider knows they made the right decision. Please call us today to find out how we can serve you.