Even dentists, dental associations don’t agree.
Advice on how we should brush our teeth from dental associations and toothpaste companies is ‘unacceptably inconsistent’, finds new research, reports https://www.sciencedaily.com
„The public needs to have sound information on the best method to brush their teeth,“ says the senior author of the study – Professor Sheiham
„If people hear one thing from a dental association, another from a toothbrush company and something else from their dentist, no wonder they are confused about how to brush. In this study we found an unacceptably inconsistent array of advice from different sources.
„Brush gently with a simple horizontal scrubbing motion, with the brush at a forty-five degree angle to get to the dental plaque,“ Professor Sheiham advises (Emeritus Professor of Dental Public Health UCL Epidemiology & Public Health), senior author of the study. „To avoid brushing too hard, hold the brush with a pencil grip rather than a fist. This simple method is perfectly effective at keeping your gums healthy.
„There is little point in brushing after eating sweets or sugary drinks to prevent tooth decay. It takes bacteria from food about two minutes to start producing acid, so if you brush your teeth a few minutes after eating sugary foods, the acid will have damaged the enamel.“