Reviewed by: Lei Zhao (West China Stomatological Hospital, Sichuan University)
Author: Gao Wei (Peking University First Hospital)
What do you need to learn to brush your teeth? Is it not correct that I have been practicing brushing my teeth for decades based on my ancestral experience and personal experience? Yes, brushing teeth is a skill that every modern person can't do without, and it seems to be very simple, but it is also the most said, the most misunderstood, the most easy to ignore and make mistakes.
Ask yourself, why do we brush our teeth? Is it to brush off the leaves? Pork? Or pigment? Also, how many times a day is it appropriate to brush your teeth? What kind of brushing posture and timing is appropriate?
Does this continuous soul torture already make you a little bigger? Okay, relax, let's talk about the right way to brush your teeth.
Image source: Stand Cool Helo
1. What is the brush to go?
First of all, let's explain the question, that is, what is brushing? Neither brushing vegetable leaves, shredded meat, nor pigments and calculus, the purpose of our brushing is mainly to remove it - plaque. Plaque is a film that adheres firmly to the surface of the tooth and contains a variety of bacteria that can cause decay (tooth decay) and disease of the tissues around the teeth, as well as a matrix and water.
Mature plaque, rinse mouth can not be washed off, the water flow of the toothbrush can not be sprayed off. Experiments have confirmed that plaque can only be removed by mechanical, correct brushing methods (for plaque on the inside and outside sides of the teeth) and floss (for plaque between the adjacent sides of two teeth).
Plaque occurs mainly where the teeth meet the gums (pictured below). Its long-term presence can irritate gingival redness, swelling, inflammation, as well as periodontal pocket formation, alveolar bone resorption, and gum recession. So that's where we brush our teeth.
2. Correct brushing method
For adults, we recommend using horizontal fibrillation brushing, that is, the modified Pap brushing method (pictured below) to brush teeth, and ensure that the inside, outer and occlusal surfaces of the teeth are all-encompassing. The dentist recommends that the entire brushing process be maintained for more than 3 minutes.
The essence of improving pap brushing is twofold:
Angle: The bristles and tooth surface are tilted at a 45-degree angle, with the bristles facing the root of the tooth. The advantage of this is that half of the bristles of the toothbrush can be rubbed to remove plaque from the crown of the teeth, and the other half of the bristles can be massaged into the gums, both in tandem.
Quantity: When brushing teeth, take 2 to 3 teeth as a group and use horizontal short-distance tremor, with a tremor distance of 2 to 3 mm. After brushing each set of teeth, move 1 to 2 tooth positions and repeat the method of brushing horizontally at small distances. This overlap ensures that no tooth, as well as any side of the tooth, is missed. This lightweight and precise brushing allows plaque to be removed more effectively without harming teeth and gums.
3. Precautions for brushing teeth Do not brush your teeth vigorously
So, how much force is the right amount of force to brush your teeth? Is it better to have more strength and harder bristles? The answer is no. Many elderly people like to use a particularly hard toothbrush, brush their teeth with great strength, and brush back and forth like a saw, as if they had a vendetta against their teeth in the previous life. Over time, the teeth are excessively rubbed by the toothbrush, and the protective layer of the enamel on the surface is defective, resulting in the sensitivity of the teeth to hot and cold, and the teeth are sick, and the dentist calls it "wedge defect" (as shown below).
4. Soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste
Therefore, when choosing a toothbrush, the dentist recommends choosing a soft-bristled or ultra-soft-bristled toothbrush, and must not buy a very hard toothbrush! This is easy to over-clean, water droplets stone piercing, causing tissue damage to the teeth and gums. Toothpaste, choose the general fluoride toothpaste on the market, because the brushing effect is good or bad, the focus is still on the brushing method! How to brush your teeth! How to brush your teeth! Say important things three times!
If you don't want to damage your gums and tooth surfaces by brushing, pay attention to the following three points in general:
Don't brush your teeth too hard, don't "pull saw" brush your teeth.
Choose a toothbrush with soft bristles, a small head, and a straight handle.
Choose fluoride toothpaste.
electric toothbrush
In addition, intelligent humans invented electric toothbrushes, which has really liberated both hands since then. The electric toothbrush simulates the horizontal flutter movement of the modified Pap brushing method, so when brushing teeth, you only need to press the switch, then gently place the toothbrush in the correct position (half of the bristles are on the teeth and half on the gums) and direction (diagonally 45° towards the root), and then move them sequentially so that the bristles pass through the inside of the teeth and each side of the occlusal surface.
5. Daily brushing time
Adhere to the correct brushing method – improve the Pap brushing method, 2 times a day for 3 minutes, brush your teeth half an hour after dinner, and then use floss to remove plaque from the adjacent surface of your teeth. Stop eating before bedtime.
bibliography
Meng Huanxin. Clinical Periodontology. Beijing: Peking University Medical Press, 2014
[2]. National Love Tooth Day "Oral Health, Whole Body Health"——Floss brushing and rinsing, cleaning gums and promoting jiankang. Health Guide: Middle-aged and Elderly. ２０１９（１０）：５９－６０
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