Many people think that brushing their teeth is simple, a wipe of toothpaste, a toothbrush into the mouth, poured twice, as if it is brushed, in fact, brushing teeth is also a technical job, not "well" brushing, plaque will find the door in minutes.
Plaque, a seemingly tiny enemy, is the culprit of caries and periodontal disease. It hides cunningly in the gingival sulcus and between the teeth, and it is difficult to get rid of it by gargling and needs to be removed by mechanical methods such as toothbrushing.
Brushing your teeth is an important step in maintaining your oral health. But, do you really brush your teeth?
In fact, most people learn how to brush their teeth from their parents or from TV commercials, without being instructed by a dental professional. This leads to a variety of wrong brushing techniques, such as vigorous brushing, horizontal brushing, fast brushing, etc. Long-term vigorous horizontal brushing will "saw" a deep groove at the root of the tooth, called a wedge defect, which can cause tooth soreness in light cases and oral problems such as pulpitis in severe cases. So, what is the right way to brush your teeth?
Choose the right toothbrush.
Brush head. The toothbrush head should be chosen to fit the size of the individual's mouth. It is generally recommended to choose a small-headed toothbrush for easy rotation in the mouth, and the length of the brush head covering 2-3 molars is the most appropriate.
Bristles. The bristles are moderately soft and hard (periodontitis patients follow the doctor's instructions), and there should be a certain distance between each bundle, arranged neatly, generally 2-4 bundles of bristles wide and 5-12 bundles of bristles long. The handle is ergonomic, easy to hold, comfortable to hold, and has a non-slip design.
Frequency. The Chinese Stomatological Association recommends replacing the toothbrush every 3 to 4 months, but this time is not absolute. When the bristles become soft and collapsed, and cannot maintain the original shape and hardness, it will affect the cleaning effect and should be replaced in time.
Modified Pap brushing.
The main purpose of tooth brushing is to remove plaque as much as possible, and the Chinese Stomatological Association recommends the use of modified Pap brushing, also known as horizontal shaking brushing, as follows:
Brushing sequence. To avoid missing out, brush your teeth in a certain order. For example, it can start with the buccal side of the left molars (lateral), followed by the buccal side of the incisors (lateral), the buccal side of the right molars (lateral), the posterior side of the last molars on the right, the lingual side of the right molars (medial), the lingual side of the incisors (medial), the lingual side of the left molars (medial), the posterior side of the last molars on the left, the left occlusal surface, and the right occlusal surface.
The bristles generally cover 2-3 tooth surfaces, and there should be 1 2 teeth overlapping between the two brushing positions until the entire tooth surface is brushed in order.
Side brushing of teeth.
Start by aligning the brush head at the junction of the teeth and gums, covering a little gum, with the bristles pointing towards the root of the tooth at an angle of about 45 degrees. Gently press against the teeth so that the bristles are slightly rounded, partly into the sulcus and partly on the gums.
Then, make a short distance and gently shake the toothbrush horizontally 5 to 6 times, with a lateral movement range of about 1-2mm. Note that fluttering is to keep the bristle angle basically the same and not leave the gingival sulcus seam.
Shake and brush. Gently brush the sides of your teeth by turning the bristles in the direction of tooth growth.
Pay attention to the side of the teeth do not brush the upper and lower teeth at the same time, brush the lower teeth from the bottom to the top, and the maxillary teeth from the top to the bottom. Horizontal tremor 5 6 times followed by brushing the tooth surface 1 time, which is considered a cycle, repeat at least once in each position, and then move to the next position.
The lingual (medial) side of the tooth is also brushed horizontally and with upward and downward brushing.
The back of the last molar, which is not easy to reach. You can open your mouth wide, erect the handle, and use the brush head to brush in a circular motion from the lingual (medial) gingival margin of the molars to the buccal (lateral).
When brushing the lingual side of the front teeth, half-open the opening, place the brush head vertically on the tooth surface, so that the front bristles touch the gingival margin or enter the gingival sulcus, and do a lifting and trembling. The maxillary teeth are brushed from the top down, and the mandibular teeth are brushed from the bottom up.
Toothbite surface brushing.
The bristles are perpendicular to the occlusal surface, and the tip of the bristles is deeply cracked in the punctum groove with slight pressure, and the front and back horizontal direction are vibrate, and the brush is brushed back and forth for a short distance.
Correct toothbrush grip.
The posture of holding the toothbrush affects the stability and flexibility of the toothbrush, just like the holding of the pen in calligraphy. The correct way to hold the toothbrush is to hold the toothbrush with your thumb up, reach forward against the handle of the toothbrush, and hold the toothbrush with a "like" gesture.
To facilitate proper brushing of the tooth surface, the toothbrush can be held with the same hand when brushing the buccal (outer) side of the molarWhen brushing the lingual (medial) side of the molar, hold the toothbrush with the opposite hand.
Timing and frequency of brushing.
Brush your teeth for 2 to 5 minutes each time, at least once a day in the morning and evening, and even better if you can brush your teeth after each meal. By consistently using the modified Pap brushing method, we can effectively remove plaque and maintain oral health.