Good Hygiene: How to Brush Your Teeth?

What's the good hygiene for our teeth? What's the right way of brushing our teeth? When do we really brush our teeth? Is the toothbrush I'm using the right toothbrush? Am I using the right toothpaste?  So, as part of really knowing the best way to keep our hygiene healthy, i've researched the world wide web on the basics on how to brush our teeth.



Good Hygiene:  9 Steps of Brushing your teeth from wikihow.com

The Steps on Brushing One's teeth

1. Use the proper toothbrush. It should have soft nylon bristles and a small head. Soft bristles are gentler on your gums and will flex more easily to reach between the teeth while a small head allows you to reach all areas of your mouth.
2. Wet your toothbrush slightly. By doing this, your gums will not be torn by the sharp bristles of the toothbrush.
3. Squeeze a pea-size amount of toothpaste onto your toothbrush. Your toothpaste should contain fluoride and be recognized by your local dental association.
4. Start on the inside of the lower front teeth, with the handle parallel to the row of teeth, just as you would to brush the outside of the same teeth. The concentrated "pea of toothpaste" will work harder at retarding the tartar that tends to accumulate here first.
5. Tilt your toothbrush at a 45 degree angle to your gums and wiggle the brush on the bristle tips, working on just two teeth at a time, for 5-10 seconds. Clean the outside and inside surfaces of the teeth, as well as the chewing or "horizontal" surfaces.
6. Brush (wiggle) along the gum line. This is extremely important, as gum disease starts here. Brush gently to avoid damaging your gums. Pressing harder does more damage than good. Make sure to get behind the molars at the back, where bacteria like to hide.
7. Brush your tongue to remove bacteria that cause bad breath.
8. Rinse your mouth out with water.
9. Floss after brushing. This helps get rid of bacteria and plaque between your teeth that you could not reach with your toothbrush.

Apart from the Steps, here are also Tips on Brushing Your Teeth

• Brushing should take about 2 to 4 minutes.
• At the very least, brush your teeth in the morning and before bed. Brush after every meal if possible.
• Replace your toothbrush every 3 months, if the bristles look worn, or after recovering from a cold/virus.
• Visit a dentist at least every six months for an exam, x-rays and a cleaning.
• Consider using mouthwash after you brush for a fresh, clean feeling and added protection. However, if you do use mouthwash, use one that is clear and alcohol-free. Colored formulas can stain teeth over time, and alcohol deteriorates gum tissue.
• Most people follow the same routine while brushing. Consider switching it up occasionally to avoid missing the same spots repeatedly.
• Try to brush your teeth after drinking coffee, red wine, or dark teas or sodas. Over time, they can stain teeth permanently.

 source:  wikihow.com

Hope this helps you guys out there in attaining good hygiene for your teeth.