What is the correct way to brush your teeth? And how long should you spend brushing them?

Many dentist offices that I have visited has had A LOT of different " correct" ways to brush your teeth. I just would like to know if the correct way is up, and down, left, and right, or if there is any other " correct" way to brush your teeth. I also spend about 15 min. brushing mine. Is that good, or bad?

What is the correct way to brush your teeth? And how long should you spend brushing them?
I've worked in a dental office assisting and stuff, and a lot of my family members are dentists, so I've had to grow up learning about the right way to brush your teeth. This is actually an EXCELLENT question, as you will find many people simply don't know. Therefore, I'm very glad you asked!





The "correct" way is actually a combination. Think of your mouth as having four quadrants. You have the top left, bottom left, top right, and bottom right fourths of your mouth. Generally you should spend 30 seconds per quadrant, focusing on moving your brush in little circles on your teeth. You want to also "brush" your gums in this manner. You can also take your brush and go up and down across your teeth, but it can be harder to do this in the back.





Also, you need to focus on the fact that each tooth has five surfaces that need to be cleaned. Of course you hear the fact that you need to floss frequently, and this is imperative. Those are two of the five surfaces when you take the floss down beside both sides of your tooth. Of course, the other three are the front, chewing surface, and back. You need to adequately brush ALL of the surfaces. It is also important to remember to brush your tongue afterwards (before you rinse) so that you can remove the plaque and everything that has collected on your tongue. Always floss before you brush for the same reasons. This will loosen things up and then you will brush it away better.





Another thing to remember is that more time and harder brushing is not necessarily BETTER. You need to brush WELL and get everything clean, but it does not mean that you need a hard-bristled brush where you scrub your teeth for 30 minutes a day. The goal is to remove the plaque, not polish a tire! If you brush too hard and too long, you can actually wear down the enamel on your teeth (the hard, protective top surface), and cause more problems.





Mouthwash can be useful if you are prone to gingivitis or your dentist recommends it. You probably don't need to use it every single time you brush, however.





The ideal dental care comes from brushing after you eat each meal (or 2-3 times a day), flossing once a day, and seeing your dentist twice a year, or more, if necessary.





Good luck! :-D
Reply:I also wanted to add that the reason why I chose this answer as the best is because she explained everything in terms where I could actually understand it. It was a close call between this answer and justmyjusrty answer! Report It

Reply:continued^


I found the website that she gave me was VERY helpful, and useful! I wish that I could choose two best answers! And yes, I do actually spend about 15 min. brushing my teeth. Report It

Reply:continued^


I did not know that you could actually damage your teeth by brushing too long. Now, I will start brushing my teeth in a shorter time period! Thank you so much for your answer! :) Report It

Reply:i think 15 mins is bad for your teeth
Reply:I just brush and floss without thinking about it and I haven't had any cavities in years. Also you should use mouthwash too. Also, if you spend 15 minutes brushing your teeth, your gums will eventually bleed.
Reply:I think just hit the back front and sides of all your teeth and your fine, it doesn't matter if you go left to right or in circles or whatever.





It only takes about 3 minutes to get your mouth clean. If you are seriously brushing for 15, that is bad for your enamel and gums.
Reply:brush in small circles, and all sides of your teeth





sing the "happy birthday" song twice for the length
Reply:Brush them with gentle round moves, also massaging the gum, for about 5 minutes every time, at least 3 times a day.
Reply:Mine says a circular motion for 2 minutes.
Reply:the best way my dentist told me is to do circles. 15 min. for brushing is a LOT and can actually damage your gums because of all the scraping you are doing. you should go at least 2 min. and no more than 4.
Reply:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brushing_Te...





Hope this helps
Reply:what you do is, you get a long stick of liquorice, fold it in half and dip it in strawberry jam (marmalade will do if you have none, or even blueberry jam, but definitely not raspberry jam or lemon curd) Rub each tooth with this concoction separately, until they are coated. Then get some coke, slosh it in your mouth for 17 minutes and gargle. Spit out, repeat.





To give your teeth a classy polish, take a dab of honey and spread onto each tooth.
Reply:My dentist says you should brush up and down for about 3 minutes. I always floss my teeth and then brush for about 2 mins.
Reply:I think the correct way to brush your teeth is in circular motions.And you should only brush every side and your tongue then stop.
Reply:My dentist (who is great by the way) told me that the best way to brush is in circles. The length of your favorite song is what he tells me is the best gauge of time is to brush your teeth.





Good Luck
Reply:You are not supposed to brush back and forth like most people do. You tilt the brush at a 45 degree angle, and brush each tooth thoroughly and on all sides. It should take 2 to 3 minutes. 15 minutes is pretty excessive. If you are obsessed over getting your teeth whitened, then splurge 40 bucks or so and get some Whitestrips.
Reply:Brushing your teeth is very important to have good oral care. I don't believe their is just one correct way to brush your teeth. That has been a great debate topic for years. What is important is that you brush the front and back of ALL teeth at least twice a day. Remember that the purpose of brushing is to remove the excess plaque buildup before it hardens on the teeth (once that happens, it can only be removed by dental instruments). Another important step to having good clean teeth is to floss and use mouth wash regularly. This will also help provide healthy gums.
Reply:You brush your teeth for 3 min.


In the front, you brush either up and down or in a circular motion.


In the back, you brush side to side.
Reply:Ideally, use a soft toothbrush. Medium and Hard brushes are too hard on the gums and can cause recession. Brush in small, soft circles and be sure to brush the front, top, and back of all teeth, as well massage your gums with the brush (also using small, soft circles). When you are finished, be sure to brush your tongue. As far as time, you should spend one minute per quadrant (quadrants = bottom left/bottom right/top left/top right).
Reply:You should brush your teeth for a total of 2 minutes. When you brush the top teeth angle the toothbrush upward and brush them in a circular motion massaging your gums at the same time, when you brush the bottom teeth angle the brush downward in a circular motion massaging your gums also. When you brush the part of the teeth that you chew on just brush them straight and the front teeth brush them with the toothbrush going outward. Don't forget to floss. If you brush your teeth for 15 min. you can actually wear your teeth out. That is not good.
Reply:It's funny you posted this because I was reading this site just yesterday.


http://www.doctorspiller.com/Prevention....





This site has perfect instruction on how to care for your teeth. Even how to floss, brush with pictures. I sent this site to my kids and my nieces and nephews. Proper care of your teeth will give you a healthy mouth and smile.



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