Over Aggressive Brushing!

Today I am going to talk about a common problem we see with many of our adult and younger patients which is over aggressive brushing. I see it everyday and even constantly have to remind my own father. In the movies we often see people like Tom Hanks sawing back in forth in a straight line like they are trying to start a fire in their mouth. Especially if the gum recession and notching has already begun if you continue doing this you will do great damage to your teeth and gums.

What we teach our patients is you only need a soft tooth brush or maybe medium at most never hard bristled. If you use a manual toothbrush angle your toothbrush in 45 degree angle as show brushing in soft circles around each tooth. Better yet you can buy an electric toothbrush and just put it at a 45 degree angle and it will do the work for you.

Other things can also be the cause of this notching as well such as clenching and abfraction (heavy bite) so ask your dentist to make sure this isn't the cause. If you are one of those brushing like you are sawing down a tree change your habits today and you gums will and teeth will be happier for years to come! Thanks for reading go to our website for other helpful info about your dental health www.lvsmile.com