Think you’ve got this self-care thing in the bag? I regret to inform you, you may be making some pretty basic dental care mistakes. Relax, you can keep your bubble baths.
Whether you diligently brush your teeth for at least two minutes every day and night, or if (like me) you have a tendency to only brush your teeth ‘after the next coffee’ and then end up forgetting altogether, it turns out we may all be in need of a little dental education.
And what’s TikTok for if not making us re-evaluate our heavily ingrained life-choices? Yep, we are once again taking health advice from an app aimed at teenagers. However, particularly in this case, we’ve got good cause.
Dr Anna Peterson is a London-based dentist who uses her TikTok platform to educate people about dental hygiene in a fun, accessible way. And when it comes to mouthwash, she’s not holding back.
In her first of three educational videos, Dr Anna says, “Using mouthwash after brushing your teeth is going to give you tooth decay.
“So stop doing it.”
I mean, that’s us told.
In another video, she explains, “Your toothpaste that you brush your teeth with has around 1450ppm (parts per million) fluoride. Your mouthwash has only 220ppm fluoride. This is a much lower concentration and it’s not enough to protect your teeth from the sugars that you’re going to eat and drink. So when you brush your teeth and then you rinse with mouthwash straight away, you just rinse off all the high concentration fluoride for a very low concentration fluoride.”
Dr Anna then clarifies that she’s not against mouthwash itself because she actually does recommend it to some of her patients. Although she does specify that, “Not every patient needs it.” Adding, “I certainly don’t tell them to use [mouthwash] after brushing.”
Dr Anna’s videos kind of transformed how we think about mouthwash… and it got us thinking: what else are we doing wrong when it comes to our dental hygiene? We spoke to a few experts to find out the most common dental care mistakes.
You forget to brush the gum line
One of the most common brushing mistakes is to only brush on the teeth themselves. After all, when we brush our teeth, we tend to focus on — well — the teeth!
As Caitlin Miller, Head of Hygiene and Therapy at Bupa Dental Care, explains, a lot of people neglect the gum line. “This means plaque builds up at gum line and can cause gingivitis, which is when the gums become inflamed and can bleed during brushing, flossing or when eating hard foods,” she says. “When brushing your teeth, it’s important to use a specific technique to clean the gum line. Tilt your brush at a 45-degree angle and apply gentle pressure as you brush each tooth in circular motions. Make sure to brush the entire surface of the tooth and reach the gum line with each stroke.”
You’re over-brushing
When it comes to teeth, more is not always better. “Over brushing can cause gum recession leading to sensitivity and higher risk of decay,” Miller notes. “It’s important to be gentle when brushing your teeth. Brushing too hard, using aggressive motions, applying too much pressure or using hard bristles can wear down the enamel and damage both the teeth and gums.”
Adds Sam Jethwa, President of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, “A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that the harder they brush their teeth the cleaner they’ll get. However, applying too much pressure to the toothbrush when brushing can damage the tooth enamel and also cause the gums to recede. I recommend using an electric toothbrush that gives off a warning when too much pressure is applied.”
Over time, brushing too hard or too often can weaken the teeth. “Instead remember to brush your teeth using small circular motions instead of back and forth,” Miller says. “This technique forces you to slow down, reduces pressure on your teeth, and cleans each tooth’s surface better. Because teeth are curved, this technique manipulates the bristles to reach around the curved surfaces.”
You’re brushing in the wrong direction
It may seem like a time-saver to brush side-to-side, but it doesn’t actually clean the teeth.
“Instead remember to brush your teeth using small circular motions instead of back and forth,” Miller says. “Brush on the tooth and right up against the gum. This is much better than brushing in a straight line, which can be too harsh and less precise. Brush one tooth at a time, systematically working throughout the mouth to ensure every area is cleaned.” Preferably use an electric toothbrush with medium or soft bristles and replace them when the bristles start to splay.”
You’re forgetting the tongue
Did you know you also have to literally brush your tongue? “If you are not brushing or scraping your tongue, then a build up of bacteria can cause bad breath,” says Jethwa. “Research has shown that scraping your tongue can be more effective at reducing bad breath than brushing. If you are using a tongue scraper, make sure you are using light pressure, otherwise this can damage the taste buds and cause bleeding.”
You aren’t rinsing after you floss
When you finish flossing, do you always rinse? Or do you simply throw away your floss and call it a day? “You should floss before you brush your teeth, and then rinse your mouth out with water as this ensures any debris removed by the flossing is washed away,” Jethwa recommends. “Flossing is incredibly important for oral hygiene as our toothbrush alone cannot fit into all the gaps where food may be left.” But don’t make the mistake of rinsing again after brushing. “Once you have brushed your teeth, you should spit out the toothpaste left in your mouth, but avoid instantly rinsing with water or mouthwash.”
