Dental hygiene is extremely important for everyone. Taking good care of your teeth is imperative for overall health but, also, to ensure your teeth last and don’t need to get a ton of work done to them. No one likes to have cavities drilled—not only are they painful, but they cost a ton of money, too. So, taking care of your teeth saves you pain and money , too.
Brushing our teeth seems like a pretty straightforward process.
Everyone learns in their childhood how to brush their teeth. Whether it be from your dentist as a kid or your parents, we all know that brushing is important and we know to get the fronts, backs, and sides.
However, all that hard work has apparently been wrong.
As it turns out, the way that we brush our teeth normally is not actually the way we should be brushing our teeth. According to one dentist office online , we’re all doing it wrong.
She says that you shouldn’t wet your toothbrush first.
Everyone wets their toothbrush before brushing their teeth. We wet it, put on some toothpaste, and then usually wet it a little bit more. However, this dentist says it’s a huge “nope.”
The reason? It’s all about fluoride.
“Wetting brush dilutes the toothpaste which has fluoride. Fluoride protects and is left on teeth after you brush,” commented one TikTok user . Flouride is supposed to protect the enamel of your teeth, so washing it off does hurt the ability to work.
She also says it’s a huge mistake to not regularly change your toothbrush.
Toothbrushes can build up bacteria over time. It’s important to change your toothbrush regularly to ensure there are no germs and bacteria. In addition, the more you use them, the more worn your brushes become.
Rinsing after you brush is also a “no-no.”
Rinsing your mouth out with water after you brush is something many people do in order to get leftover toothpaste out of their mouth. However, this dentist says it’s not the best to do. The reason? Flouride again. It takes 30 minutes to absorb.
She shared that everyone should be brushing their gum line.
Brushing your gum line may seem painful and cause bleeding—for many people, it’s not a pleasant experience. However, doing so is important for overall gum health and to ensure you don’t have gum disease.
Brushing the gum line helps to keep gums healthy.
Plaque and food often build up on the gum lines and in order to ensure you get all of that out, you have to brush along the gum lines. It may cause bleeding, but that showcases the gums are sensitive and need some extra work.
The dentist also debunked some shared advice online.
Some people said that they were told that rinsing with hot water is important for teeth health. However, she shared that there is no scientific evidence that shows there is any difference between hot and cold water.
The dentist’s office also shows exactly how much toothpaste to use on a toothbrush.
On their TikTok channel, the dentists share that there is a specific amount that should be used every time you brush your teeth. If you are using regular toothpaste, it should be a “pea size” amount.
And, she also shares what you should never use on your teeth.
From charcoal toothpaste to whiten your teeth to online services to straighten your teeth, there are a lot of things that she would definitely not recommend you do overall.
