Brushing your teeth is essential to prevent tooth decay, tartar, and to maintain healthy teeth. It is therefore important to adopt good habits both in brushing and in protecting your teeth. This includes taking care of them by paying attention to your diet.
Here is a guide that will help you understand what poorly brushed teeth are and what you need to do to take the best possible care of your teeth.
What are poorly brushed teeth?
Brushing your teeth is a daily habit that helps you maintain good oral hygiene to keep your teeth and gums healthy. However, you need to know what poorly brushed teeth are in order to correct it. Indeed, there are several common brushing mistakes we all make that compromise oral hygiene.
Here are the main tooth brushing mistakes:
- Brushing in the wrong direction: You brush without using a rolling motion.
- Brushing your teeth and gums too hard: You cause your gums to bleed because you press too hard while brushing.
- Poor use of your mouth: You open your mouth too wide, which prevents optimal brushing from the gum to the tooth.
- Brushing your teeth too quickly: You don’t use an electric toothbrush with a timer that ensures proper brushing.
- Brushing your teeth too frequently: You brush more than 3 times a day, which weakens your tooth enamel.
Nylon toothbrush VS Silicone toothbrush
Nylon and silicone are two materials with completely different properties. Nylon is a synthetic material that only degrades under extreme and specific temperature conditions. In contrast, silicone is not biodegradable and has harmful environmental impacts.
Manual or electric toothbrush with Nylon bristles
The bamboo toothbrush has a handle made of bamboo wood and nylon bristles on its head. Nylon is a synthetic fiber combined with other natural fibers made from castor oil derived from a tropical plant. It is a recyclable fiber, which is why it is considered an eco-friendly material. Brushing your teeth and gums with a bamboo toothbrush is just as effective as using a traditional toothbrush. The sonic electric toothbrush has nylon filaments that perform better than silicone because they provide a real brushing sensation. This is very different from silicone, which offers more of a massaging sensation on the teeth. These toothbrushes usually have soft, fine bristles that clean everywhere, even under orthodontic wires such as retainers or braces. You no longer need to worry about brushing thoroughly thanks to the bristles covering the entire brush and their proper angle.
Manual or electric toothbrush with Silicone bristles
The manual or electric toothbrush with silicone “teeth” effectively removes surface stains caused by tea or coffee consumption. Regarding bristle placement or the more or less triangular shapes of toothbrush heads, the difference is minimal. You should know that the longer the silicone bristles, the better they can reach plaque deep in the mouth. Also, it is important to avoid low-cost travel toothbrush models because their bristles are cut rather than polished, which poses a high risk of damaging your gums.
Nylon is much more effective for brushing than silicone. For example, you can try the Y-Brush Nylon toothbrush. This premium material is far more efficient than silicone because it provides a true brushing sensation, unlike the massaging feeling silicone gives.
The effects of chewing gum on teeth
Recent studies have shown that brushing your teeth 3 times a day is no longer mandatory. In fact, dental plaque takes at least 12 hours to form. This justifies that midday brushing is not essential and that you can very well chew chewing gum as a substitute for brushing. Chewing gum after meals does not replace proper tooth brushing. However, it can have a positive effect against cavities. Moreover, chewing gum stimulates saliva production, which is important because saliva plays an essential role in oral hygiene. Additionally, chewing gum freshens breath and is a simple, practical way to keep your mouth healthy when you cannot brush your teeth.
Foods to avoid for your teeth
There are foods that cause dental plaque formation on teeth and thus lead to cavities. These are foods or drinks to avoid consuming to keep your teeth healthy and maintain good oral hygiene.
Here are the foods to avoid for your teeth:
Refined carbohydrates
Some foods such as biscuits, bread, and pasta contain processed white flour. The main ingredient, starch, transforms into simple sugars that feed the bacteria in your mouth.
Carbonated drinks
These drinks are too high in sugar. Additionally, they contain phosphoric and citric acids that cause cavities. Limiting carbonated drink consumption helps prevent dental problems.
Alcohol
Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to tooth enamel and gums. It causes dehydration that slows saliva production, which is necessary to regulate the bacteria in your mouth.
The worst foods for your teeth
Brushing your teeth twice a day, using dental floss, and visiting the dentist regularly are essential for good dental health. But you also need to watch your diet. Some foods are much more than just discouraged. It is important not to eat the following foods:
Here are the worst foods for your teeth:
Sugar-rich sweets
It is crucial to try to avoid sugary treats. Indeed, the bacteria in your mouth use sugars to produce acids that attack your tooth enamel.
Citrus fruits
Lemon and grapefruit are acidic foods that damage your teeth if consumed excessively. Therefore, consume them in moderation and rinse your mouth properly afterward.
We hope this guide has helped you understand the actions to avoid in order to take care of your teeth. We also hope you understand that chewing gum should be used occasionally. Moreover, if you avoid the foods mentioned, you have a great chance of keeping your teeth and gums healthy and strong.
