Are You Brushing Too Much? Too Aggressively? What Is Overbrushing?

As always, you should brush your teeth at least two times a day in order to maintain healthy teeth and gums. You may even want to brush more such as after meals, or right before a big meeting at work. While you may be dedicated to keeping your teeth healthy, and rightfully so, you may be wondering if brushing too much might be a problem for you or your oral health. Perhaps you have a feeling that brushing too often has caused your gums to bleed.

Truth be told, there is no such thing as brushing your teeth too much, and brushing is encouraged to guarantee bright and healthy smiles. However, “overbrushing” does exist, and many may want to watch out it. Overbrushing occurs depending on how you brush your teeth, and it is possible to overbrush even if they only brush their teeth twice daily.

Overbrushing is the act of brushing your teeth too aggressively. Brushing too hard with coarse bristles can possibly do harm to your gums, tooth enamel, and dentin. If you feel you might be overbrushing, here is what you can do to ensure you brush safely moving forward:

Get A New Toothbrush Periodically
Softer bristled toothbrushes are made to have smooth bristles that feel great when brushing your teeth, as well as do a great job cleaning them. However, as time goes on and the more you use your toothbrush, its bristles will become more coarse, which means they will get more abrasive and more harmful to your teeth and gums.

To prevent using an abrasive toothbrush, simply visit the dentist every three to six months for a tooth cleaning so that you can get a new toothbrush, or go to your grocery or drug store and pick out a toothbrush that you feel will work best for you.

You can easily tell if your old toothbrush has run its course, so you’ll know when you will need to replace that toothbrush if not already.

There are many types of toothbrushes to choose from, and these toothbrushes vary even by their bristles. So just because you might get a new toothbrush, it doesn’t mean it will be soft to use for your teeth. With this in mind, look for a new toothbrush with soft bristles and with rounded tips, rather than ones with abrasive edges to them. Brushes with firm bristles are made for effectiveness in mind, but brushes with soft bristles will do a good job cleaning your teeth. If you are still unsure about which kind of brush to buy, your Waterloo dentist can recommend one for you.

How to Brush Properly
You can still overbrush even with a new toothbrush with soft bristles. Rather than “scrub” with your new toothbrush as if you were scrubbing your bathroom floor, try to focus on massaging your teeth. From the gum line, work your toothbrush up and down in small circles. Hold your toothbrush in a 45-degree angle as you do so. For the backs of your teeth, brush them in a gentle, vertical motion. This allows you to clean them thoroughly and cover all the areas where plaque may be lurking.