How often should I brush and floss?

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Brushing your teeth and flossing are no-brainers to dental professionals, but to a lot of people they can be hard habits to form. Whether it's the daunting time commitment or simply just forgetting, starting and keeping these healthy habits can be tricky. If motivation is lacking, it is important to know that these practices, though simple, are actually the most important things you can do for the health of your mouth. The Journal of Dental Research study in October 2016 made it clear there is a direct correlation between how frequently you brush and the number of cavities you get. The more you brush, typically, the less cavities you will form. Brushing and especially flossing will also help you to prevent gum disease.

So, how often should you brush to keep your teeth happy and healthy? A standard recommendation is to brush twice per day and floss once per day. All mouths are different and some may need a little more TLC. Try to brush for at least two minutes. 


 When brushing your teeth, make sure you are using a SOFT (or extra-soft) bristled brush and you are getting EVERY surface of your teeth. This includes the surface you see on a regular basis as well as the surfaces you don't see! Top, bottom, front, back, left, right, chewing side, and the tongue side are all equally important to brush. For a visual demo on how to brush your teeth go to https://youtu.be/xm9c5HAUBpY. (Don't worry, it's only a minute long video!) 

 For all those places your toothbrush doesn't go, use floss! Just brushing your teeth twice a day for two minutes is a good start to getting rid of the plaque and bacteria that causes cavities and gum disease, but it isn't complete without flossing. Floss between each of your teeth at least once a day. There is no recommended order for brushing and flossing from the ADA. 

 Keep those pearly whites clean and healthy!
Need more info? Try these articles:
https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/t/toothbrushes 
https://www.self.com/story/how-long-to-brush-teeth 

~ Cyrus M. Larson, DMD

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