4 Teeth-Cleaning Mistakes That Make Dentists Cringe

You’d be surprised at how easy it is to make mistakes in at-home dental care. Even if you remember to brush and floss every day, you can still mess up in ways that lead to oral health issues. That said, it may not be clear where (or if) you’re doing anything incorrectly. For that reason, your dentist in Lubbock is here to help. Read on to learn four common teeth-cleaning mistakes and the best ways to avoid them.

Only Brushing Once a Day

Does your daily brushing only happen once a day? If so, your dentist probably isn’t happy about it.

As it turns out, this practice leaves plaque at the gum line that can cause inflammation. Once advanced enough, that inflamed tissue can peel away at your tooth roots and infect teeth. From there, it wouldn’t be long before you developed gum disease or a bone infection.

You can avoid these issues by brushing your teeth twice daily with a soft-bristled toothbrush.

Rushing The Brushing

Another pet peeve of dentists is when patients brush their teeth for less time than they should. Apparently, most of us only spend 45 seconds brushing at each teeth-cleaning session. That’s a lot less than the recommended 2 minutes twice daily.

While adults might correct this habit quickly enough, doing so can be challenging for kids. However, light-up electric toothbrushes could help them. Many have built-in timers that flash for 60 seconds for each row of teeth.

Ignoring Your Gums

Because people focus more heavily on having clean and pretty teeth, they may ignore their gums. That’s a severe mistake.

When gums aren’t cleaned and brushed, they can be inflamed by harmful bacteria that trigger gum disease. Left to itself, the infection could eventually result in tooth loss!

So, to be clear: don’t forget to brush your gums too!

Using the Wrong Kind of Toothbrush

Using a manual toothbrush is fine for oral care if you have the right technique. If you don’t, though, you may not do an excellent job of removing bacteria, plaque, and leftover food.

Meanwhile, a power toothbrush can be more effective at removing plaque when you use it gently. Just be careful — aggressively using a power toothbrush does more harm than good.

If any of these mistakes apply to you, it isn’t too late to fix things! You can make your dentist proud of your oral health by following the proper corrections.

About the Author

Dr. Kevin Shively is a dentist in Lubbock, TX, having earned his DMD from the University of Louisville’s School of Dentistry. He’s taken over 600 continuing education hours and studied at the world-renowned Dawson Academy. Currently, his services include preventive, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry, not to mention emergency dental treatments. Dr. Shively currently practices at his self-titled clinic and can be reached at his website or by phone at (806)-698-8660.