Dentist reveals how much toothpaste you should use
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Your dental health is so important and your parents, dentists, orthodontists, and anyone in your life will have drilled this into your mind since you were young. If you don’t brush your teeth adequately twice a day, you will develop problems such as cavities or gum disease. These problems aren’t just unsightly, they can impair your ability to eat and speak properly, and will cause pain and bad breath. Express.co.uk chatted to the experts at Dental Art Implant Clinic to find out how to brush your teeth properly.
Your dental health might not be at its best at the moment because you’ve probably missed your dentist or hygienist appointments for the last year.
Normally, you’re advised to visit the dentist and hygienist every six months, but that hasn’t been possible or been a priority for everyone during the pandemic.
A lack of dental appointments doesn’t mean you can become sloppy when it comes to your daily dental hygiene routine.
Here’s how to brush your teeth properly and what you need to do before you reach for your toothbrush.
READ MORE- How to clean your electric toothbrush – eight tips for a great smile
Why you’ve been brushing your teeth WRONG
A spokesperson for the Dental Art Implant Clinic said: “Lockdown has left us in pyjamas for the majority of the day, desperate for a haircut and feeling a little bit flat.
“But instead of deep conditioning your hair so your hairdresser doesn’t yell at you for mistreating your locks, it might be wiser to give your teeth the once over.
“Plenty of us have missed our regular hygiene appointment at the dentist thanks to the pandemic, and the last thing you want is to return to your dentist with nasty gnashers.”
There are FOUR things you need to do before you brush your teeth (and most of us don’t bother).
Floss
Flossing is something we all know we should do… but how many of us can say we genuinely floss our teeth every single day? Barely anyone.
The experts said: “Wrap some floss around your fingers and guide it between your teeth, taking care to not miss a single tooth.
“If your gums bleed, don’t worry, it likely means you should be doing this more often. Aim to floss at least once a day.”
Pick the plaque
Plaque is the root of many oral health problems because the bacteria in it produces acids that attack your tooth enamel and cause cavities.
Plaque also gives you bad breath and makes your teeth look yellow, so why don’t we pay more attention to the plaque on our teeth?
The experts at Dental Art Implant Clinic said: “Using a dental metal pick, carefully remove any plaque from the gaps between your teeth. These are easy to find online, so leave the fork in the drawer for this step!
“Don’t forget to look on the inside of your mouth where you might miss some nasty plaque hiding. If you’re struggling to see, grab a small mirror to get a better look.
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Shine your teeth
Did you know you’re supposed to ‘shine’ your teeth? Most people don’t!
The experts explained: “Grab a hard interdental brush and use it on the front of your teeth.
“This acts as a ‘sander’ removing all of the potential plaque and bacteria buildup, similar to what a dentist would use.”
Scrape your tongue
Your tongue can hold on to lots of bacteria that can affect your teeth, so why don’t we all give our tongues a good scrape every single day?
The experts said: “Use a tongue scraper and gently pull it from the back of your tongue, forwards.
“Repeat this process two to three times, to remove all the dirt from your tongue. If you don’t have a tongue scraper, floss will do.”
Brush
After you’ve done all of the above, it’s finally time to brush your teeth.
We all know how to do this, but might not do it for long enough or thoroughly enough.
The experts said: “Grab your favourite toothbrush, make sure it’s clean, and apply toothpaste to it.
“In circular motions, brush every tooth, taking care to get in all the nooks and crannies for two minutes.”
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