A Quick Guide to Brushing Teeth
Brushing teeth is often overlooked when considering good dental hygiene or even when trying to whiten teeth. Taking tooth brushing lightly is risky, as brushing teeth properly is a fundamental principle for keeping a healthy, white smile.
Brushing properly takes just a few moments out of a busy day - but can save a lifetime of heartache and regret by following simple steps and brushing teeth properly. Australia now has access to some of the best dental hygiene products in the world. Saving hard earned time and money all starts with a proper brush!
Choosing the Right Toothbrush
The right tools will make accomplishing any task that much easier. Keep that in mind as you peruse through the myriad of toothbrush choices now available on the market. The goal is to find a brush that accomplishes the task needed.
Do not get confused by all the marketing bells and whistles. The goal is to find the right toothbrush for your mouth - regardless of colour, type of packaging, or big promises.
Pick a brush with soft enough bristles to not only remove plaque and food particles from the teeth and gums, but one that does so in a pain-free manner that is not too abrasive on the enamel or gums. Replace the toothbrush or head of your toothbrush every 2-3 months for the best results.
Pro tip! If possible, maximise brushing by purchasing a quality electronic or sonic toothbrush. They optimise the brushing process by upping the amount of ‘strokes’ the toothbrush can make from 300 strokes per minute to 30,000¹. Learn more about brushing with an electronic or sonic toothbrush here.
A Good Toothpaste
A ‘good’ toothpaste is often not the least expensive one available. More important than price, an effective toothpaste - while sometimes only slightly more expensive than the bargain brand that could actually hurt your mouth - must list the active ingredients it uses to whiten and clean teeth.
There are many excellent cleaning and whitening ingredients that actively help keep bacteria and plaque away from the mouth and teeth, as well as help lift or whiten stains on the enamel or outer layer of the teeth.
Make sure to do a quick check of unfamiliar ingredients in your toothpaste to ensure they are safe and actually work. Dental hygiene products love to confuse and overcomplicate what their products can do - often losing focus on why people brush - simply wanting to flash a healthy and whiter smile. Dive deeper into how to find the perfect toothpaste for your mouth and teeth here!
How to Brush your Teeth
Brush at least 3 times a day - morning (after that coffee!), after lunch, and before bed. The easiest way to not forget is to get used to brushing immediately after every meal. Sneak in a quick brush after each snack or tea break for extra brownie points. Brush often, but never with too much pressure.
Start each brushing session by tackling the front of your teeth first. Try to brush with quick teeth-wide measured strokes. Make sure to brush over the whole surface. Switch to the back of your teeth after a few minutes on the front. The last step is to focus the brushing on to the ‘chewing’ surface. Each of the 3 surfaces should be brushed for 2 minutes each.
Here is where one would not be blamed for thinking having an electronic or sonic brush would make this whole process faster and more fun!
Teeth Whitening Products
The whitening step is often the culprit as to why most Australians overlook the all important brushing phase. Teeth whitening products provide the sexiness behind good oral hygiene and admittedly garners most of the attention when considering a healthy smile.
The old adages of ‘walk before you run’ and not to ‘put the carriage in front of the horse’ apply here, as many Aussies do not focus enough on brushing their teeth. Most of their focus, time, and money are spent on whitening, not the crucial brushing.
That being said, teeth whitening products are a must. They are too accessible, effective, and easy not to make use of them. The key is finding a good quality brand. Bliss Oral Care products are the perfect teeth whitening and cleaning brand that fits the bill of supplying quality dental hygiene products at reasonable pricing - while not gauging and over-promising like many other leading Australian imported brands. Besides following instructions and sticking to a routine, discovering and sticking to a reputable teeth whitening brand is vital.
After Brushing
Rinse after brushing. Many newer toothpastes use powerful active ingredients. These ingredients, like charcoal, hydrogen peroxide, and other active bleaching agents need to be rinsed off the teeth. Long exposure to these ingredients are harmful to enamel and gums. They can eat away at the enamel layer causing over-sensitivity or even pain.
Rinse after using teeth whitening products. The above mentioned reasons apply more so to teeth whitening products, such as the ever-popular whitening strips and semi-popular mouth trays. Rinsing with room temperature water will help to avoid any discomfort from sensitive teeth.
Conclusion
Learning and sticking to the basic fundamentals of any task helps us accomplish the desired task much more easily and efficiently. Brushing teeth properly will help whiten teeth faster, while also keeping our gums and mouth healthy.
Here’s a great guide to help you establish a routine to ‘practice’ brushing properly - sticking to our metaphor of equating brushing to learning a new skill. Make brushing fun by treating yourself to a sonic toothbrush and you will feel (and see) the difference. Australians need not limit themselves on how they can clean and whiten their teeth at home. Keep checking the Bliss Oral Care Blog for more teeth whitening tips or better yet - shoot us over a message. We love to interact with our community!