★ Brushing after each meal

There used to be a claim of 3-3-3 brushing. This means to brush your teeth for 3 minutes within 3 minutes after each of the 3 meals.

But out of 32 teeth in our upper and lower mouth, only one neglected tooth could lead to tooth decay and periodontal inflammation.

So these days dentists recommend that you brush each tooth thoroughly for, on average, in total 10 minutes.

Moreover proper brushing proved to be effective in prevention and treatment. As you can see, 3-3-3 is just not enough.

★ Brushing in the morning

It is needless to say brushing is good only after the meal. Brushing is intended to eliminate food debris (dental plaque) and there is no point to brush your teeth before the meal. Most people brush their teeth in the morning, which is a matter of course.

★ Brushing after lunch

Modern workers and students find it difficult to brush after lunch.
But studies show that brushing after lunch is also effective in prevention and treatment.

As they usually eat out for lunch, they might take in the most adhesive food.

★ Brushing at night

The irregular diet caused by overwork, night study, working late and so on, does harm our body.

It also undesirably affects our teeth.

The causes of tooth decay and periodontal diseases are extremely active at night.

Having one's meal regularly and a good night's sleep are essential for health but if they can not be kept well, prevention is needed.

No matter how late you come back home, brushing before going to sleep is the first condition for health.

So you shouldn't miss brushing !!

Place bristles along the gumline at a 45-degree angle. Bristles should contact both the tooth surface and the gumline.

Gently brush the outer tooth surfaces of 2-3 teeth using a vibrating back & forth rolling motion. Move brush to the next group of 2-3 teeth and repeat.

Maintain a 45-degree angle with bristles contacting the tooth surface and gumline. Gently brush using back, forth, and rolling motion along all of the inner tooth surfaces.

Tilt brush vertically behind the front teeth. Make several up & down strokes using the front half of the brush.

Place the brush against the biting surface of the teeth & use a gentle back & forth scrubbing motion. Brush the tongue from back to forth to remove odor- producing bacteria.

★ Choosing toothbrushes

Use a toothbrush with soft, nylon, round-ended bristles that will not scratch and irritate teeth or damage gums!!!

Generally toothbrushes with a straight handle and short bristles are convenient to use.
The hardness of the bristles depends on the person but usually overly hardened bristles tend to damage gums and overly soft ones get dirty easily and are hard to clean. Average bristles are recommended.
Overly dense bristles and animal hair don't dry well, which is unsanitary. In this regard nylon is ideal.
Moreover if possible, round-ended bristles are good. After brushing, be sure to rid the toothbrush of food debris and left over toothpaste by rinsing with water and drying it in an upright position in a draft.
Worn-out, flattened bristles should be replaced as soon as possible.

★ Choosing toothpaste

Toothpaste consists of mainly abrasives, detergent, flavor and medicine.
Please note that overuse of toothpaste can wear teeth away.
There is a misunderstanding that using lots of toothpaste is a proper way of brushing as it gives a refreshed feeling after brushing. On the contrary, too much toothpaste only makes brushing harder with too much foam in the mouth. Therefore applying only 5 mm of toothpaste is desirable.

★ The harm of inappropriate brushing

It is needless to say that proper brushing is essential for prevention and treatment of dental disease. But inappropriate brushing can bring about side effects such as damaged or falling-down gums. Try to follow the instructions of dentists or dental hygienists on proper brushing. Feel free to consult the professionals when you are in pain or have some dental concerns.