Make the Most of Your Toothbrush

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Your toothbrush should be your most-used, and most-trusted, weapon against cavities, gum disease, and offensively bad breath. Yet, if you use the wrong brush, or if you don’t use the right one correctly, then you have a significantly smaller chance of winning your fight against dental diseases. Even though you’ve (hopefully) practiced the routine for all of your life, you can increase the effectiveness of your teeth brushing with a few tips from your Miller, IN dentist.

Know What You’re Brushing

You can’t normally see them, but your mouth is home to over 600 identifiable kinds of bacteria, and countless more that have yet to be classified. Of those that we have studied, a few stand out as particularly detrimental to your oral health. Some microbes, like Streptococcus mutans, metabolize sugar and starches into acid that depletes your teeth of minerals, weakening the protective enamel that surrounds them in the process. Other germs, particularly Porphyromonas gingivalis, target your gum tissue, leading to rampant inflammation and gum disease. When oral bacteria gather, they produce a sticky biofilm (dental plaque) to protect them as they cling to your teeth and other oral tissues.

Safe & Effective Teeth Brushing

Brushing and flossing your teeth every day is the best way to control plaque buildup and inhibit oral bacteria’s effects on your dental health. To help ensure that your toothbrush does its job each and every time, Dr. Nicholas Cain suggests;

  • Using a brush with soft bristles to avoid scraping away your tooth enamel
  • Brushing every surface of every tooth, which should take about two minutes each session
  • Holding the brush at a 45-degree angle to clean bacteria and food debris from along your gum line
  • Cleaning your tongue with a tongue-scraper to remove the bacteria that like to gather on its surface
  • Brushing your teeth at least twice every day, and flossing at least once, preferably before bedtime
  • Brushing your cheeks, as well as your tongue and teeth
  • Changing your toothbrush every 3-4 months, or as soon as the bristles become frayed

About Your Miller, IN Dentist:

As a native of northwest Indiana, Nicholas Cain, DDS, is dedicated to providing excellent general, preventive, and family dentistry services to the community that raised him. To schedule your family’s next dental appointment, call Healthy Smiles today at 219-938-2637.