15 Common Tooth Brushing Mistakes We Aren’t Aware Of

If you brush your teeth a certain way, chances are that there could be a number of things that you could be doing wrong. Keeping your oral health in the best condition is a necessity for your health, which is why if you have been doing these tooth brushing mistakes, it is time that you stop!

The common issue with this is the fact that we are often not even aware that we are doing things the wrong way. The lack of realization is what causes the chaos.

In here, we are going to share some of the common tooth brushing mistakes that you possibly didn’t even know of.

Tooth brushing mistakes

Irrespective of whether you are using a normal toothbrush or an electric one, chances are that there could be a number of things that you could be doing the wrong way.

To avoid such nuances, knowing what you are doing wrong can effectively help ease your problems.

Let us take a look at some of the common toothbrush hygiene mistakes, shall we?

1-Using the wrong toothbrush

If you visit your local supermarket to get your toothbrush, chances are that you are going to be confused which one to pick out for your daily oral health routine. Given that there are so many available variants, it is possible for you to thick which one to get and which one to avoid. All that aside, it is very important that you focus on picking the right one.

Often times, one of the most common mistakes to avoid while doing your brushing is to pick out a brush that is too rough on your gums.

This ends up making your gums bleed, causing a constant discomfort and is often too tough to move around the mouth. For this reason, it is always best suggested that you do end up picking a toothbrush which is flexible and comes with softer bristles for smoother brushing.

For those who want to do their part for the environment, you can even ditch the plastic completely and opt for the bamboo toothbrushes.

Read: 7 Good Drinks For Teeth (6 Drinks That Are Bad)

2-Using the same toothbrush for long

There are often people who tend to have a habit of using the same toothbrush for extended periods of time, often exceeding the six month mark as well.

According to the normal statistics, it is believed that is you use the toothbrush around twice a day and seven days a week; one normal toothbrush is likely going to last you for around 3 months and not more than that.

More precisely, the dental experts suggest (R) switching a toothbrush after 200 uses in general. It is not just that the bristles are likely going to be worn out; there are chances that using this after that will have harmful bacteria instilled in it.

If the bristles in the brush are completely frayed and disoriented, chances are that the same will not be able to clean your teeth properly.

If you have been wondering what common tooth brushing mistakes you have been indulging in, using it more than 3 months is one of them.

3-Circular motions with the toothbrush

If you tend to have a habit of brushing your teeth in circles, instead of the standard to and fro motion, this is one of the most common mistakes that you are likely committing.

It is not untrue that the “brushing in circular motion” was a common factor that evolved back in the days but new reports from the American Dental Association suggest that brushing in circular motions doesn’t get the dirt out of the teeth effectively.

Instead of that, it is important that you do focus on using the back and forth motion with the toothbrush on the side to get the stuck food out of the teeth and ensure effective cleaning without any issues at all.

Aside from that, brushing with the up and down strokes also does help keep your teeth clean and ensures better cleaning that the circular motions.

Read: 20 Habits That Wreck Your Teeth – Know What You Are Doing Wrong!

4-Brushing immediately after a meal

If you have a habit of brushing immediately after a meal, it is likely that you are doing one of the most common toothbrush hygiene mistakes. It is true that brushing your teeth after eating is important but it is necessary that you at least wait for 30 minutes before brushing your teeth.

The reason why that is the case is mainly because the pH of the mouth following a meal is often very acidic because it is necessary to break down the ingested food.

Brushing the teeth right after ends up eroding the enamel, especially if you do it regularly. This is the reason why it is best that you wait at least 30 minutes before you do end up brushing your teeth.

5-Not brushing long enough

According to the American Dental Association, they suggest that one brush their teeth for 2 minutes before rinsing.

But, one of the most prominent tooth brushing mistakes that we do is not brush out teeth for 2 minutes and cut it down short.

There have been conducted studies to sort out how long is optimum when it comes to brushing one’s teeth but for the most part, the researchers have found that the individuals have a wrong perception, thinking that they brushed long enough when that is not the case.

If you have been finding it difficult to see how long it takes you to brush your teeth, we would suggest that you either use an electric toothbrush with a timer or have a timer set out on the phone for you to assess the time taken.

Read: 8 Working Home Remedies To Remove Tartar And Plaque From Teeth

6-Brushing in the wrong time of the day

It is standard that people do need to brush their teeth twice a day. But, what time during the day is considered ideal for the same?

We tend to brush our teeth every day before bedtime which is okay but many experts suggest brushing your teeth after you have eaten in the morning.

It is often mistaken and wrongly judged but it is also believed that brushing the teeth after eating something in the morning helps assure better oral health unlike anything else.

7-Brushing harshly

It is necessary for one to brush their teeth properly but proper doesn’t mean that you have to be harsh with your actions. This is one of the most common myths that people have thinking that brushing one’s teeth harshly is the only way to get it cleaned.

Scrubbing your teeth too hard is going to end up making your enamel erode. This is possibly the last thing that you need or want. Plaque that accumulates around your teeth is soft and loose, so you don’t necessarily have to be very harsh with it.

Softer and gentler actions and strokes with the toothbrush is often one of the very best ways to clean your teeth without any issues at all.

Read: Home Remedies for Shaking Teeth

8-Rinsing your mouth after brushing

It is likely that many of you reading this rinse your mouth after brushing.

Are you supposed to rinse after brushing teeth? This is one of the most common questions that arise in the minds of the people and several dental experts suggest that you shouldn’t.

You can spit out the toothpaste and the foam but when you rinse it out with water, chances are that it washes away the fluoride from the toothpaste as well, thereby making your oral health more prone to bacterial growth.

If you want a better oral hygiene, use a rinse with some mouth wash that contains fluoride in it to ensure better results instead of using straight up water.

Avoid using water at the end of the brushing regime because that is what you are doing wrong.

9-Forgetting your tongue

Your tongue is a breeding ground for the bacteria that is accumulated over night. If you have been skipping out on cleaning your tongue, it is possibly one of the most common tooth brushing mistakes that you are indulging in.

Tongue often contains the most amount of bacterial growth and since it is always moist, chances are that the bacteria outgrow there itself. This is the reason why it is very important that you clean your tongue without any further thoughts at all.

If you don’t feel comfortable using your toothbrush to clean your tongue, you can even opt for those medically approved scrapers that are available in the pharmacies.

Read: What Happens If You Don’t Brush Your Tongue? 7 Grave Side Effects!

10-Brushing in the same spot

One of the most common mistakes the people commit with their teeth brushing regime is the fact that they tend to brush the same spot over and over again.

This is what often causes you to have unclean teeth around the regions that you pay the least attention to.

If you spend your time and energy brushing around the same spot over and over again, chances are that you are likely going to not spend your time brushing the rest of the teeth which is a necessity, if not anything.

11-Brushing the teeth with the angle off

Often times, one of the most common mistakes that people commit while brushing their teeth is by doing so at a wrong angle. What we mean by this is the fact that you are possibly not focusing your brush in the correct way.

There could be a lot of confusion, but it is best suggested that you do focus on brushing your teeth like how one would play the piano, straight across.

This is often considered the best and the most effective way to clean your teeth, so make sure that you do pay close attention to the angle you are brushing your teeth in.

Avoid using a lot of angles, and just be straightforward with the cleaning and brushing of the teeth to avoid further confusion.

Read: 14 Best Oral Health Foods – Take Care of Your Pearly Whites!

12-Skipping out on flossing

You don’t realize the importance of this but flossing is a necessity if you do want to maintain proper oral hygiene.

Given that we chew our food and the same breaks down into smaller pieces, it is likely that they might get stuck inside the crevices of the teeth, making it tougher for you to get rid of them with a toothbrush.

The best way to change that for good is by opting for some good quality dental floss that are available in the market. They help reach inside the teeth and get rid of the stuck food for better impacts on your oral health and hygiene.

For the best results, create a C loop with the dental floss and then move it around the teeth for better cleaning. You can also move the floss up and down for better and faster cleaning without any issues.

13-Forgetting the gum line

If you are looking into the mistakes to avoid while doing your brushing, we would suggest that you not forget the gum line.

Many of us do that but it is necessary that you do brush the gum line as well because it is prone to bacterial infestation.

The area where your tooth meets the gum is often a very common breeding ground for the bacteria, so if you don’t want poor oral health, it is a necessity that you do brush your gum line as well.

Read: 12 Home Remedies For Wisdom Tooth Infection – Say Goodbye To Pain

14-Keeping the brush in the bathroom

How many of you keep your toothbrush in the bathroom? If the answer is yes, it is possibly one of the worst toothbrush hygiene mistakes that you have been doing.

The bathroom is one of the most common breeding ground of bacteria and germs, spreading the same on your toothbrush as well. When you brush with a toothbrush that is already infested with a plethora of bacteria and germs, chances are that the same will end up making you fall sick.

If you have been storing your toothbrush in the bathroom, consider changing the place instead. Keep it in the room, in a cabinet, whatever that you deem is clean enough.

15-Brushing more than twice

Every single dentist suggests brushing your teeth twice a day for a cleaner teeth and healthier gums. If you have been brushing more than twice or even less than twice, chances are that you are doing it wrong.

It is necessary that you avoid brushing more than twice a day because the same often ends up causing the enamel to erode.

Not just that, brushing more than twice in a day has also been found to affect the gums of the teeth negatively, which isn’t something that you want or need for your oral health.

If you have been wondering about the tooth brushing mistakes, we have sorted out some of the most common ones for you. Make sure that you do consult a dentists every once in a while for regular checkups and to ensure the best oral health. Taking your oral health for granted can often even contribute to poor well being.