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Common Oral Care Mistakes To Avoid

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If you want to keep your teeth and gums as healthy as you can, then you should be working to brush your teeth regularly and in the correct way. Unfortunately, many people make some mistakes when it comes to oral care that can really affect the teeth long term. Keep reading to hear about a few of these mistakes and how they can be avoided.

Mistake: Rinsing Your Mouth Out After Brushing

The vast majority of toothpastes have a good amount of fluoride, and this helps to encourage remineralization, or the strengthening of the dental enamel. However, this fluoride is easily rinsed off the teeth if you do what most people do and rinse out your mouth after you are finished brushing. You want to make sure that the fluoride remains in contact with the teeth for as long as possible, so skip the rinse.

Additionally, you do not want to drink for at least 30 minutes after you brush. Think about brushing your teeth after you finish your morning coffee and your breakfast.

If you have sensitive teeth and want the additional strengthening power, then think about using some mouthwash that contains fluoride. And, as with the toothpaste, make sure not to rinse your mouth out after using it.

Mistake: Using A Large Toothbrush

If you look at the selection of toothbrushes at your local pharmacy, you will notice that there are dozens of options available to you. And while it may seem as though a larger adult toothbrush would do the job, this is not your best choice. Larger brushes may have more surface area, but they simply cannot get into the spaces where food, plaque, and bacteria are present in the mouth. For example, a large brush will not get behind the back teeth where cavities are most likely to form.

So make sure you purchase a small or medium sized toothpaste. The small sized heads are a good option for a woman's mouth, and men should get a medium sized one.

And toothbrushes should be purchased as regularly as once every two months. This is true of the soft-bristled ones, which are far less harsh on the teeth than the hard-bristled brushes. Specifically, the soft bristles will break a bit more easily, and breakage is a sign that you need to purchase a new brush.

If you want to know more about oral care mistakes and how to avoid them, speak with a dental professional at a local dental clinic.


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