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Toothbrush Mistakes To Avoid To Keep Your Mouth Healthy

6 May 2019

Oscar Allen

If you want to follow the advice of your dentist and keep your teeth free of cavities, then you need to use the right oral care routine to keep your mouth clean. This includes purchasing, using, and caring for your toothbrush properly. And when it comes to toothbrushes, some people make some mistakes that can actually cause poor oral health. Keep reading to learn what they are.

Storing Your Toothbrush Improperly

The way that you use your toothbrush is vitally important to keeping your teeth healthy and free from cavities. However, you can also affect your oral health by simply storing your toothbrush the wrong way. A common storing mistake involves placing a cover over your toothbrush. While this can keep it clean from microorganisms in your bathroom, it will actually lead to bacterial growth of the microbes that are already on the brush. These bacteria are the ones that are present in your mouth naturally, and the wet and warm environment provided by the cover will encourage growth. 

Also, storing your toothbrush extremely close to the brushes of your family members can cause a transfer of bacteria from one toothbrush to another. And since the oral microbiota can vary greatly from person to person, you can easily transfer bacteria to your mouth that are not currently present there. These means more bacterial species that can potentially form cavities.

For the best oral health, make sure to simply rinse your toothbrush with cool water and store it uncovered in an out-of-the-way section of your bathroom. The brush should be away from other toothbrushes and also far from your toilet. 

Buying A Hard Brush

Toothbrushes come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and bristle hardnesses. And it makes sense that the more your brush and the more enthusiastically you scrub your teeth, the cleaner they will be. It does not really work that way. When it comes to your teeth, the more pressure means potential damage to your enamel and your gums. 

So, you want to be gentle when brushing and buy a toothbrush that has medium hard bristles. Soft toothbrushes may be a good choice as well, especially if your gums tend to bleed when you brush. 

Keep in mind that you should also be buying a brand-new toothbrush at least once every six months. And if you start to see your bristles bending or breaking, then it is also time to get a new toothbrush regardless of the timeframe. 

If you want to know more about the best toothbrush to buy and use, speak to your dentist at a clinic such as Sun Dental. 

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