Dental hygienist Laura Schikkerling fills the gaps in your cleaning technique. Photo / Getty Images
Dental hygienist Laura Schikkerling fills the gaps in your cleaning technique. Photo / Getty Images
A third of electric toothbrush users are unwittingly putting themselves at risk of gum disease, a survey has found.
According to SURI, the wellness brand behind the study, this is because they fail to change toothbrush heads every three months. But what other rotten habits do we commonly fall into? Dental hygienist Laura Schikkerling drills into the detail of our tooth-brushing blunders…
Yes, you can brush your teeth too hard
I dislike the expression “brush your teeth” – it suggests scrubbing, which, if you are only cleaning the biting surfaces, is fine. But the second you place the brush on the outside or inside of the tooth, scrubbing is a terrible idea. The fibres that make up the gum between the teeth run up and down, and are not designed to sustain these cross strokes.
As a teenager, I brushed that way and made my gums recede. That’s why I’m inspired to stop it happening to others. But brushing the typical way – either side to side or in big circles – carries bigger risks than receding gums. You end up polishing the front of each tooth, and not touching the valleys in between, where the bacteria that cause tooth decay actually lurk.
Most of us are brushing our teeth wrong, says Schikkerling. Photo / 123rf
It’s all about gum cleaning
Instead of brushing, I talk about “gum-line cleaning”. Position the brush partly on a single tooth and partly on the gum above it. To get to the little triangles of gum on either side, you need to apply just enough pressure that the bristles splay slightly to fill the indentation.
Next, pivot finely in that fixed position for three or four seconds. Then lift the brush slightly and tackle the next tooth. It should take four to five minutes to finish the job. I once brushed the teeth of a famous older actress this way. She said: “Darling, that’s exactly how I clean my jewellery.”
Pricey brushes don’t make a difference – but size does
An electric toothbrush will make those micro-movements, but if you don’t position it accurately over the tooth, that is irrelevant. The advantage of them is that they have small heads, with medium to soft bristles, which is what every dental university in the world advises. If your toothbrush is long, it touches several teeth, making it harder to address them individually.
Begin with the backs of your bottom teeth, because that’s where all the food you eat ends up lodged. Open wide, and remember that the backs of the two front teeth are the stickiest in the mouth, covered in saliva that is a breeding ground for bacteria.
When brushing these, the base of your toothbrush should face straight up to the ceiling, so you can clean the full length of the teeth. I once had a patient who was keen to hurry me along. He was a heavy smoker and coffee drinker, which caused a lot of plaque staining. I cleaned all his teeth, except one at the front, which I left as it was. He looked in the mirror with total fury, then laughed. I said: “That’s what the back of your teeth look like.” And that is why we need to start there, taking our time.
Begin with the backs of your bottom teeth, because that’s where all the food you eat ends up lodged.
We’re too obsessed with white
We have an entirely misplaced fixation with the colour of teeth in the Western world. Dentists make a lot of money out of the obsession with a “Hollywood white” smile. But teeth all have individual colours, a bit like eyes. Colour is largely irrelevant to dental health. Discolouration caused by plaque is a different matter because it could lead to the adjacent gum becoming infected. And, in truth, the primary reason to keep teeth clean is to protect the gum.
Some teeth can take the pressure
Dentists counsel against “over-brushing”, by which they mean exerting too much pressure, but that is largely because people brush across their teeth. Clean properly, and some teeth do need pressure exerted. The canines, for example, are more convex than the front teeth, the fronts of which are fairly flat, so they require a little extra oomph.
Try naked brushing
It’s a good idea to brush one’s teeth without paste sometimes, because toothpaste masks the colour and taste of blood. Gum bleeding happens when tiny blood vessels in the gum become inflamed, swelling in response to bacteria. Because the gum has a very thin skin, the blood vessels then pop under the pressure of cleaning.
It’s not generally a cause for major concern. In fact, it’s useful, revealing where you’ve got food trapped. Identify the spot the blood is coming from, and clean it with extra diligence.
Your toothbrush needs cleaning too
Toothbrushes should be sterilised once a week. During Covid, tests showed that more than 50 per cent had streptococcal and staphylo-coccal bacteria, the herpes virus and faecal matter on them. Place the head of your brush in mouthwash or white vinegar overnight. If the bristles are splayed rather than at right angles to the head, it’s time to replace it.
The best time to brush
Personally, I brush without paste before breakfast, then with it after breakfast. I also brush after lunch and after supper. You cannot clean your teeth too often.
