It’s common knowledge that brushing your teeth regularly forms part of a good, healthy routine. But how often should you brush your teeth to ensure good dental care? You might have been raised once a day, twice a day, or after every meal. But let’s take a look at what the experts recommend.
How Often Should You Brush Your Teeth?
According to the American Dental Association (ADA), you should brush your teeth twice a day. Once in the morning, and once in the evening. You should brush for 2 minutes at a time and be sure not to skip any teeth in the process. Good dental care doesn’t end with brushing your teeth twice a day. It’s important to clean between your teeth at least once a day. We recommend using dental floss to do this as it helps remove plaque or food particles that may get stuck around your gums.
How Often Should Children And Infants Brush Their Teeth?
At the first sign of tooth growth, infants should practice dental care. You may be thinking that this is too soon, but with a small amount of fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled brush, it is completely safe for a young child.
Older children, between the ages of 3-6 can use slightly more toothpaste on their brushes. They will need assistance at this age to ensure that they spit out the toothpaste and don’t swallow it. This is a good time to get them in a routine of brushing their teeth twice a day – morning and night, for about 2 minutes at a time. There are fun ways to help your children brush their teeth.
What Happens When You Don’t Brush Your Teeth?
While it’s okay to miss a brushing session before bed every once in a while, experts do not suggest making a habit out of this. When you skip out on brushing your teeth regularly, you allow food and bacteria to build-up on your teeth. This causes plaque, which can cause damage to the enamel on your teeth. This can lead to cavities and even worse, gingivitis which is an early form of gum disease. Inflammation occurs, and your gums are likely to bleed. An even more serious scenario is developing periodontists, where your gum moves away from your teeth.
Top Tips For Dental Care
It’s good to have a healthy routine of brushing your teeth at least once a day. Here are a few tips to ensure you are doing your teeth justice every time you brush them:
- Using the right type of toothbrush matters. While some research argues that an electronic toothbrush is more effective than a manual toothbrush, the choice is yours. We mentioned using a soft-bristled brush. This is to ensure that you don’t cause any gum abrasions when brushing. Toothbrushes with multi-level/angled brushes remove plaque more effectively compared to a standard flat toothbrush.
- You should replace your toothbrush around 3-4 months at a time. If your toothbrush starts to show signs of wearing, replace it sooner.
- People often ignore brushing their tongues. Bacteria can also live here, so don’t skip over your tongue on your next brush. Brush all sides of your teeth, not just the visible ones. When you chew, you use all your teeth, so there is a chance you could have some gunk hiding behind your teeth.
- The brand of toothpaste you use does not matter, however, make sure it is fluoride toothpaste and has the ADA Seal of Acceptance visible.
- You should be flossing your teeth every day to ensure that no food particles that are trapped behind your teeth are left to rot under your gums.
Ensuring Good Dental Care
Part of good dental care means visiting your dentist at least twice a year for a check-up. No matter how consistent you are with your dental habits, regular visits to your dentist for teeth cleaning and to check for cavities should also be part of your dental care routine.
At these visits, your dentist will be able to see any issues that may be developing and offer treatment if necessary. Eriks Dental Group offers a wide variety of dental services for you and your family. Get in touch with us today and begin your dental care journey.