1.  Correct Brush

Yes Freddie, there is a right sort of brush and a wrong sort of brush.  You should have, whether you want it or not, a soft bristle brush.  We’re not going to fall for the excuse, “But it just doesn’t feel clean unless I have a steel wire brush.”  We’re taking off sticky, soft plaque, but we would like to leave the gums and enamel undamaged.

Change your brush about every three months, more often if it’s showing signs of wear.  If by three months all the bristles are flayed out like a bad hair day, then you’re using too much force when you brush your teeth.  This isn’t isometric exercise.  You can flex those muscles to show off later in the day.

After you’ve been sick, go ahead and change your brush.  If the dog has licked it or the kids have used it to poke around in the flower bed or you’ve dropped it in the toilet, then I’d go ahead and change it immediately.

Do not be deceived, a bad brush corrupts good teeth.

2.  Toothpaste

Okay, now don’t put so much toothpaste on your brush that you’re going to look rabid.  You need about the size of a pea.  For children under six, about a split pea.  I know, the toothpaste commercials show a pretty glob that ends in a curl.  Well, they’re selling toothpaste.  Even the instructions on the tube will tell you about the size of a pea.

Use a fluoridated toothpaste that has been approved by the American Dental Association.  These toothpastes have been proven to be effective in helping prevent tooth decay.  You can get the toothpastes with all the bells and whistles if you want – ones that decrease tartar formation, help with sensitivity, bleach, taste like pumpkin pie, cause members of the opposite gender to swoon, or allow you to sing in perfect pitch – but a good, standard toothpaste is just as good.

3.  Table Tops

Scrub on the biting surfaces of the teeth, that is, the table tops of the teeth where the grooves are.  You want to get down into those grooves so that means taking your time, not bearing down like your scrubbing a tub.  Easy does it.

4.  Sides of Teeth

First, it’s a brush not a saw.  So don’t scrub on the sides of the teeth.  There are gums down there and they are finicky.  Aim the bristles toward the gums at a 45° angle and rotate slowly.  I said, s-l-o-w-l-y!  Pick up the toothbrush and move on.  Scrubbing at the gums can abrade both teeth and gums.

For brushing the cheek surfaces of the upper molars, bite down just a bit to relax your cheek.  This will allow your toothbrush to get back to those second molars and clean without having to fight a tight cheek.

For the tongue surfaces of the lower molars, do the opposite, that is, open wide so your tongue will have enough room to move out of the way while your aiming the toothbrush bristles down under those molars.

5.  Two Minutes

Yeah, two minutes.  Take your time.  We have two minute timers we can give you to help you brush long enough that everything gets clean.  You can brush your tongue if you want to, but don’t gag yourself.  We like to floss first then brush as the floss loosens the in-between plaque so the toothbrush can carry it off.

6.  Spit and Smile

Now doesn’t that feel and look good?  Yowsa!

For a helpful video, link to the following site:  How to Brush