We need to brush our teeth regularly in order to prevent tooth decay. Which leads to the question how often should you brush your teeth?

The brushing motion removes food from the teeth, reducing the likelihood of plaque forming. Plaque, when left untreated, is the main cause of gum disease and tooth decay. Gum disease has been linked to heart and lung problems, diabetes and problems with pregnancy. Tooth decay can cause teeth to fall out or be so painful that the affected teeth must be removed. Both of these situations will lead to a need for expensive dental implants.

How long should you spend brushing your teeth?

The NHS advises that you brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste twice every day for at least two minutes. How many of us actually make sure that we brush for long enough? It’s essential that your brush touches every surface of your teeth. The surfaces that the brush doesn’t touch, as well as those hard-to-reach corners, will be where food deposits mount up and begin to cause you problems.

When should you brush your teeth?

It’s essential that one of those brushing sessions takes place last thing at night, so you’re not lying in your bed with sugar and food items on your teeth, as well as at one other time during the day.

How often should you brush your teeth?

You may be advised by your dentist or hygienist to brush your teeth more often than twice a day, but that will depend upon the dental needs of each individual. The best way to find out if you would benefit from brushing more regularly is by asking your dentist when you go for a check up.

Are electric or manual toothbrushes better?

It doesn’t matter if you use a manual or electric toothbrush, as long as you have a good brushing technique. Children under the age of seven should be supervised to ensure that they too are learning a good brushing technique. They too need to brush their teeth for long enough and ensure that every surface is covered. To make it more fun you could give them an egg timer. Once the sand has run out, it’s time to rinse.

Flossing and mouthwash

Flossing and mouthwash may be beneficial for helping to keep your teeth even cleaner and consequently help prevent disease. The NHS advises that you do not use mouthwash, or rinse immediately after brushing your teeth, as this may wash away the protective fluoride from the toothpaste. Ideally you need to keep the fluoride in your mouth for a few minutes after brushing your teeth can get the benefit.

Book regular dentist appointments

If you have any questions about when and how often you should brush your teeth, any concerns about pain in your mouth or you’d like to arrange an appointment for treatment, check up, or a professional clean, please contact our team of highly qualified dentists.

We will be happy to help. If you’d like to find out about our range of cosmetic dentistry options to improve your smile, such as dental implants, teeth whitening or Invisalign braces, we’d be happy to discuss them at Harwood Dental Care, our dental practice in Bolton.

You can also find out about the common dentistry questions we get asked in one of our other blogs.