It is crucial for your oral health that you learn proper brushing techniques.  Brushing your teeth is one of the most important things you can do daily when it comes to keeping your teeth and gums healthy. Brushing is something that should be instilled in people when they are young since healthy brushing habits tend to last a lifetime once formed. That includes brushing the right number of times daily.

Most dentists recommend brushing your teeth at least twice a day. That should be the bare minimum everyone strives for. However, you really should be brushing your teeth after every meal if you want your teeth to remain in tip-top condition and last an entire lifetime.

Why brushing your teeth is important

To better understand why brushing after every meal is best, you need to understand why brushing is important in the first place.

When you consume foods and beverages, some food particles may stick on your teeth or the spaces between them. Millions of bacteria that live in your mouth dine on these foods particles and excrete acids after their meal. These acids are very corrosive and eat away at the enamel of your tooth. If your teeth come into contact with these acids for prolonged periods of time, your enamel will eventually weaken and tooth decay will follow.

That is what makes brushing so important. When you brush your teeth, the food particles that get stuck on your teeth are removed before they can be broken down into acids by the bacteria in your mouth. Brushing also reduces the number of bacteria you have in your mouth.

Brushing isn’t the only thing you can do to remove food particles and bacteria from your mouth and reduce the exposure your teeth have to acids. Here is a look at 3 things you should be doing in addition to your brushing your teeth at least twice a day.

1. Floss daily

While brushing is the best way to clean most of your teeth’s surfaces, there are many tight crevices and spaces that even the smallest toothbrushes in the world cannot reach. The problem is these spaces still trap food particles that the bacteria in your mouth can use to produce acids.

Flossing is the best way to clean these hard-to-reach places. You will be able to clean the spaces between your teeth and many other tight spaces in your mouth with a good dental floss.

2. Use an antibacterial mouthwash

A quality mouthwash should be part of your oral care routine. Swish your mouth with an antibacterial mouth rinse after brushing to kill germs that lead to tooth decay and bad breath. Mouthwash also helps you to clean tight spaces in your mouth that brushing or dental floss cannot reach.

3. See your dentist twice a year

Regular visits to your dentist’s clinic are just as important as brushing and flossing daily. You will get a professional cleaning while you are there, which removes tooth-decay causing tartar from your teeth and your dentist will look for any developing issues.

Contact us to learn more about how to properly brush your teeth.

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