One question our Missoula dentist gets all too often is simply “am I brushing enough?” While we typically can’t definitively say whether or not a given person is actually dedicating as much time and energy to brushing as they should, it is safe to say that most people do not.
When Enough is Enough
Any dentist, in Missoula and across the country, will likely tell you the same thing: Brush twice a day, morning and night, for two full minutes. We all know it, we’ve all heard it – but almost nobody does it. Sure, people brush; many people brush twice a day, but almost nobody brushes the full two minutes that they should or does so in the correct manner. Today, we’ll walk you through the basics and answer the questions you may have about them.
Why Morning and Night?
One of the most common misconceptions about brushing stems from the misunderstanding as to why dentists recommend we brush first thing in the morning and last thing at night. In fact, most people believe that brushing is something we do in response to eating; actually, we brush in anticipation of, and in reaction to, sleeping. While we’re awake, eating or otherwise, our saliva does a fairly effective job at removing much of the plaque buildup and damage that our teeth is subjected to. While we sleep, however, our saliva production goes way down, leaving our teeth vulnerable to any remaining bits of food or harmful bacteria for hours at a time. This has a compounding effect, as the now-weakened teeth are left vulnerable to anything we eat or drink before our next brushing. So, first thing in the morning and last thing at night help to give our teeth a sanitized, fluoride-boosted clean throughout the night and then wash away harmful bacteria and ultimately reapply that protection before breakfast the next day – so always brush before breakfast!
Why two full minutes?
Okay, first of all, it really isn’t two full minutes. When your dentist says two full minutes of brushing, what they really mean is eight 15-second segments of brushing. If you’re thinking about the math, it breaks down pretty simply: Your mouth can be broken up into eight brushable zones, which include the teeth and gums on the upper, lower, interior, and exterior of every corner of your mouth. Basically, you should spend 15 seconds moving your brush from your right or left front tooth to the back, brushing in small circles along the gumline, then do the same for the interior and tops/bottoms of those same teeth, repeating this cycle for each of these “zones.” When you brush in this way, the net total of your brushing efforts should total up to two minutes easily and you’re sure to not miss anything!
Other Helpful Tips
One of the biggest reasons that people fail to brush for two minutes is because they’re using far too much toothpaste. While this doesn’t immediately sound like a bad thing, when you use more toothpaste than is necessary, you are subjecting your mouth to a level of lathering foam that it can’t handle, which leads to an early spitting and rinsing and a false sense of accomplishment. By using a pea-sized blob of toothpaste (for an adult, down to a rice-sized drop for a baby), you can still experience plenty of refreshing lather without the choking desire to spit it out. Similarly, when you do rinse your mouth out, it is best to avoid swishing around, gargling, drinking, or even just intaking a large amount of water. Not only does this cold water come as a shock to your teeth after the warm lather, but it rinses off the helpful fluoride film you just applied to the teeth, leaving them clean but vulnerable. Instead, use only a very small amount of water (like wet bristles, for instance) and take a couple of seconds to re-brush the fluoride onto your teeth and gums, eventually spitting out the excess. In a matter of moments the toothpaste taste will be gone, but your teeth will be much more protected for hours to come.
Professional Cleaning
The best advice anyone can give you regarding your dental habits is to regularly see your dentist. For families living in Missoula, this means visiting Dr. Duke at Bitterroot Dental. Our practice was developed with the simple mission of helping local people improve their oral health at every stage of life. Our talented staff can give you specific pointers for your brushing efforts, like which teeth or areas you may be breezing over a bit too much. The best way to know is to schedule an appointment and get checked out by Dr. Duke and his staff!
