Ever since you can remember, you’ve been told that you need to brush your teeth. Your parents may even have tried to explain why it’s important.
While most people tend to be pretty good at brushing their teeth, they aren’t always as diligent about flossing or using mouthwash. It’s easy to think that brushing alone is good enough, especially if you see the dentist regularly. Unfortunately, that isn’t true.
You Might Not Be Brushing Thoroughly
How much thought do you put into brushing your teeth? Most of us tend to go on autopilot when brushing. That’s a mistake, however, and one that can lead to you not doing a thorough job.
Proper brushing means angling the bristles at a 45-degree angle close to the gums and gently brushing in either a circular or back-and-forth motion, ensuring that every tooth is thoroughly brushed. It should take you 2 minutes to brush well. If you aren’t being very thorough with your brushing, there’s no way brushing alone will be enough.
Stuff Gets Stuck Between Your Teeth
Even if you do a good job brushing the inner and outer surfaces of your teeth, that doesn’t do anything for any food particles stuck in between your teeth.
Food particles stuck in between your teeth can result in decay over time. Brushes don’t do a very good job of getting in between teeth. That’s where flossing comes in. The thinness of the floss allows it to get between the teeth to clean the sides.
Your Toothbrush Can’t Get Everywhere
Careful brushing and flossing are great. If you do a good job with both, that may be enough to keep your mouth and teeth healthy. Your toothbrush and floss can’t get to every surface in your mouth though. For extra cleanliness, using mouthwash is ideal. Mouthwash can get to just about anywhere in your mouth: underneath your tongue, the roof of your mouth, the space between your cheeks and gums, and even the top of your throat if you gargle the mouthwash. Mouthwash also helps fight bad breath, something that is beneficial for virtually every teen.
Brushing your teeth at least twice a day is an important part of oral care. It’s not enough on its own though. To take good care of your teeth, floss them at least once a day. Using mouthwash isn’t strictly necessary if you do a good job of brushing and flossing, but it’s still a good idea. Make sure you see your dentist regularly as well. That will help you keep your teeth healthy, strong, and beautiful throughout your life.
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