I almost always read in the news/press that dentists recommend to brush teeth two times a day for 2-3 minutes.
This drives me crazy, because it does not make sense; The point for dental health is to systematical clean every surface of your teeth twice a day (and use inter-dental brushes/floss once a day). For me, brushing my teeth takes around 6 minutes, if I hurry up. For someone faster it might be possible in 1 minute.
So, why do dentists always give the 2-3 minutes recommendation?
You are harming your teeth if you brush them that much, that’s why. Overbrushing is just as bad as brushing too little.
My electric toothbrush does 30 seconds per quadrant, 2 minutes total. I’m 38 have zero cavities and my teeth are fine. I only brush once a day.
I’ve always brushed my teeth twice a day and I’ve had like 6-8 cavities, a root canal, and an implant. There’s more to it than brushing. Some of it is biological.
Do you drink a lot of sugary drinks? Haven’t had a cavity since I quit drinking (non-sugar free) sodas.
No I don’t, I find sodas too sweet
There’s other factors than just brushing your teeth but brushing is probably the easiest factor that most people can reasonably take control of.
Genetics, obviously you can’t do much about. But you can avoid sweets and decide not to get pregnant (hormonal changes during pregnancy can cause mouths to get more acidic and make plaque harder to remove, and can also soften the gums and bones that hold teeth in, or even weaken the teeth directly). Also, if you want nice teeth, it’s especially important to abstain from smoking crystal meth. And that’s even more important during pregnancy.
But telling everybody “brush twice a day for two minutes” is a small ask with huge returns.
Idk. I’ve been able to maintain a pretty consistent balance of crystal and healthy teeth. Every one of them that’ve fallen out have been nice, white, and cavity free.
Sonicare or oral b?
I wish I had bought my sonicare much earlier than I did. Seems like the best way to keep your teeth healthy outside the dentist’s office.
Seems expensive until you have a dental bill that is much more expensive. I highly recommend getting a sonicare.
Back in the day, it was recommended after every meal!
i find it inconvenient to do that every day, so i brush once a month for 2 hours.
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Worthful quality lifehack right there.
It’s the little things that makes all the difference.
I think it’s a game of diminishing returns.
Let’s say 6 minutes gives you perfect 100% cleaning.
Well 30 seconds probably already gets you 50% or more of the total benefit just by getting fluoride on your teeth and rinsing your mouth a bit so getting people to 3 minutes is probably approaching perfection anyway and if you start asking people to do 6 minutes then they’ll say fuck it I won’t bother at all so settle for the 80% win.
I assume.
I like the internal logic of this argument. I’m going to assume this is fact now, with zero research.
Because it should take you about 2 minutes to brush your teeth.
If you’re actually brushing for 6 minutes straight, you’re overdoing it and damaging your enamel and gums.
Brush gently, floss thoroughly.
One reason why I enjoy my electric toothbrush, as it vibrates every 30 seconds to tell you to switch to the next quadrant, up to 2 minutes. No guesswork, and it brushes better than I ever could using a regular toothbrush.
Seriously, I have no idea how one could brush teeth in 2 minutes. I brush gently, use the simple swipe away from the gum technique and just work systematic chewing surfaces, inner surfaces, outer surfaces. Each part gets 2-3 swipes. I had a professional dental cleaner teach this technique to me, and she also told me that she couldn’t finish within 3 minutes. (Do not misunderstand me; I would happily get away with 2 minutes.) BTW flossing is another interesting topic, AFAIK there is no study which can show that flossing helps your teeth/gum. (I floss daily, but I just cannot understand why there is no study which supports this practice.)
I only floss when I can’t get something out from my teeth, but I hate the feeling of things in my teeth so I often take a drink of water and aggressively rinse and like force the water through my teeth. Never had any dental issues, so 🤷
I got a waterpick six months ago and at my most recent dental cleaning they complimented me on how fantastic my teeth looked. Honestly, it feels incredibly refreshing to use. I use it with 50% water, 50% mouthwash.
And stuff like meat getting stuck leads to pain in the gums and a nasty odour which is indeed rotting meat. Definitely getting that out!
Wait, so the summary states clearly, that a.) flossing is effective b.) mouth rinsing is more effective?!? It seems to good to be true, why does not every producer of mouth rinsing make advertisement with this? I also always ask my dentists about tips for dental hygiene, and none every recommend mouth rinsing. (Germany)
Some of the newer rinses keep plaque at bay for quite awhile. It’s incredibly obvious when I happen to run out before buying a new bottle.
I guess I’m still just scratching my head over why you thought there were no studies?
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No, it’s not. I have never brushed my teeth too hard and have always used very soft toothbrushes, but I used to brush for 6-7 minutes, and my gums have suffered for it. Way too much of my teeth are now exposed, which is both ugly and causes sensitivity.
In the long run, if one keeps this up, teeth will start falling out.Don’t overbrush.
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Adding to this, also make sure to floss gently.
My hygienist told me I was flossing too hard lol.
i just go over my teeth twice with a manual brush.
Brushing for longer has diminishing returns and hurts your gums. I’m just speculating, but it’s mostly about removing debris from your mouth and applying flouride to your teeth.
So I’ve had something like 25-30 cavities filled in my life. I haven’t had a single cavity in 10 years, though. I brush only once a day, and floss. The trick is flouride rinse afterwards. That’s the secret.
but the fluoride is gonna turn me into a government sleeper agent!1!!?!
I’m also like you with my timing but most people I know say I take ages with my teeth. Apparently most people are done with their brushing in less than one minute. Therefore, dentists recommend spending at least two or three. I don’t think you need to brush for less time than what you already are.
What’s your cavity situation like
Zero, why?
There are two things with brushing your teeth: first, the mechanical action of the brush and the microparticuls in the toothpaste will clean the tooth. Second, the fluorine in the toothpaste will consolidate the enamel of the tooth, but it needs a bit of time to be absorbed.
This is why it’s important to use real toothpaste and not the natural shit you can do yourself at home.
So 2-3min is the right time to brush the tooth and allow the fluorine to be absorbed. Some dentists will also tell you to not rinse the mouth, only spit the saliva and paste, I imagine so that fluorine has more time to work.
.
That’s how much time it takes for the fluoride to take effect?
Surely part of your 6 minutes is flossing and mouthwash though.
I systematically clean each surface but my electric toothbrush has an automatic timer that buzzes at the 2 min mark and its surprising how close it is. I normally only have one or two teeth to go.
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In case you are unaware current advice is to avoid brushing for a while after an acidic food or drink
Guidance for preschools around me is for them to brush kids teeth after every meal that’s served at school.
That was recently reinstated after being suspended for a couple years and the teachers are practically (as much as they legally can) begging the parents to sign the waivers to opt their kids out of it. I don’t blame them. It seems excessive and it’d take a ton of time for two teachers to scrub a dozen or so sets of toddler teeth, while also controlling said toddlers while they wait for everyone to finish.
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“after every meal” does not mean “immediately after every meal”
Technically then I brush after every meal provided I don’t die after eating
i figure it’s a good point that’ll get most people most of the way there. not too confusing
