Brushing your teeth is very important to help maintain great oral health. Choosing not to brush is simply not a smart choice. First of all, you’re subjecting your friends, family and co-workers to bad breath. Second, it can leave your oral health at risk of developing various oral diseases. Why would you want to put yourself through that kind of torment? Hopefully, most, if not all of you, are brushing your teeth as you should, but are you doing it correctly?

At Connolly Family Dentistry in Sewell, NJ, we want you to live your life with a smile that not only looks beautiful, but feels that way, too. You deserve to have a radiant smile. If you’re cutting corners while brushing or aren’t spending at least 3-4 minutes doing so, you’re putting your mouth at risk. Proper brushing technique isn’t hard to follow – it’s actually quite simple. Dr. Connolly is the dentist Sewell, NJ residents can trust.

Properly Brushing Your Teeth

Ready, set, brush!

First, be sure to use or purchase a brush that comes equipped with soft bristles. Practically every brush sold in the U.S. has soft bristles, so you won’t have to worry about not being able to find one. Hard-bristled brushes can damage the teeth, so be sure you have one with gentle bristles.

Next, the process. It should be noted that proper brushing lasts between 3-4 minutes. If that seems too long, listen to your favorite song or put on a television program that will help the time pass quickly. The starting position should involve you holding your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle while using short, gentle strokes. Any fluoride toothpaste will do – it’s completely up to you which you decide to use.

Additionally, you should practice the following:

• Brush the outer surfaces of the upper teeth followed by the bottom teeth.
• Clean the inner surfaces of both the upper and lower teeth.
• Chewing surfaces need love too, so be sure to thoroughly clean them.
• Brush your tongue – it has more bacteria on it than you may realize.

Implementing these changes into your twice-daily routine will provide much better results than before. Toothbrushes don’t last forever, so be sure to replace yours every three months.

Need Help? Schedule an Appointment

If you have questions regarding toothbrush techniques or need help, we’re happy to assist you. Brushing is a main component of general dentistry, so cutting corners or not performing the task properly can increase the risk of dental disease. Your oral health can benefit greatly from proper brushing techniques. We invite you to come see us for a general checkup at our Sewell, NJ office. We also invite residents from all over, including