We all know how important the oral hygiene can be. And when
it comes to maintaining oral hygiene, it becomes really important to brush and
floss on daily basis. However, it can be possible for many people to take this notion
seriously in an unnecessary manner. Such people can end up doing
abrasive brushing of their teeth.
Over-brushing can be quite dangerous for your teeth and
gums. In the article, we are going to talk about way over-brushing can damage
your dental health.
The side effects of over-brushing
If you want to maintain good oral health, you will need to make sure that you brush and floss your teeth. But there are chances that you overdo the brushing of your teeth; and it is not going to be a good thing in the long run. Over-brushing can result in receding gum. Moreover, the outer layer of the teeth, also known as tooth enamel, can start wearing off when you brush your teeth abrasively. With this outer layer worn off, you are at the risk of having hypersensitivity of your teeth. And as mentioned above, over-brushing can be dangerous for the soft tissues of your gums. As a result, your gums might start receding. This gum recession can lead to the exposure of tooth root which is a sensitive portion.
People who are largely at the risk of getting their tooth
enamel worn of and gums receded are the ones who use medium or hard bristled
toothbrushes in an abrasive manner. There are a few signs you can look at to
find out if you over-brush your teeth.
- Splayed bristles of the toothbrush
- Swelling and redness in the gums after brushing
- Bleeding in the gums
- Receding gums
The right way of brushing your teeth
Remember, the major purpose of brushing your teeth should be
the removal of plaque which is a white, sticky and soft material. Therefore,
you need to focus on brushing your teeth using right technique rather than
doing this practice abrasively.
Having that said, you have to make sure that you are gently brushing the surface of your teeth using a soft bristled toothbrush. If you are having trouble sticking to the right technique of brushing, you can perhaps go for a change, i.e. using an electric toothbrush rather than a manual one. The head of an electric toothbrush moves in such a way that you won’t have to apply too much pressure while moving the toothbrush. The motion of the toothbrush would be enough to assure you about the cleaning action.
A few things that you have to keep in this regard may
include the following.
- The toothbrush should have soft bristles.
- Use a 45-degree angle while brushing your teeth.
- The brushing motion needs to be circular rather than a back and forth sawing one.
- Make sure that you are not applying the pressure that could hurt your gums.
- Do not brush for more than and less than 2 minutes.
Apart from that, you have to make sure that you brush your
teeth twice in every day. If you brush regularly, you will be able to know
about the best technique that would surely give you the cleanliness you need.
