Brushing your teeth harder doesn’t make them cleaner, and can in fact cause more harm. It is important to understand that applying more pressure, over brushing or using a toothbrush too hard for your teeth can cause damage to your teeth. Overdoing a good thing can cause toothbrush abrasion which leads to sensitive teeth and receding gums.

By brushing too hard or too regularly, you can wear the enamel off your teeth causing teeth sensitivity. Over brushing can also push the gums back exposing the sensitive root area of your teeth, resulting in receding gums and tooth sensitivity.

Plaque and Tartar

You don’t need to brush aggressively to brush the plaque off your teeth. Plaque is so soft that a cloth could wipe it off. What you need is a good brushing technique, brushing with a gentle pressure but brushing thoroughly to reach all of the surfaces where plaque hides, including flossing daily to clean the areas between your teeth. You should use a circular brushing motion and not a back and forth motion.

Many people confuse tartar (or calculus) with plaque, however a toothbrush won’t be able to remove tartar. Tartar can only be removed by a special tool called a scaler by the dentist, which is what happens when you visit your dentists for a “scale and clean”.

Recommended brushing techniques

– Use a soft bristled toothbrush
– Toothbrush size – if you are straining your mouth to fit your toothbrush in, your toothbrush is too big
– Brush your teeth by holding it at a 45 degree angle to the gum line
– Brush in a circular motion at each spot a number of times
– Place a gentle pressure against the gums. If the bristles are squished, you’re bearing down too hard!
– Brush twice a day for 2 – 3 minutes and don’t forget to floss daily!

Remember, you can overdo a good thing!

Please feel free to speak to the team at Compass Dental Care to discuss your brushing technique and how we can help you with any further tips