The other day, my six-year old niece complained that her dad didn’t brush properly. Her father, amused by this revelation, looked at me and said, “These days, kids think they know it all!” I said that she may be right about our brushing skills. I asked him if he knew there is one correct of brushing. He said no, and the six-year old remarked, “See, I told you!”

Many of us, though worried about teeth care, are not aware if we are brushing our teeth the right way. There is just one correct way of brushing the teeth that helps clean our teeth properly. If you haven’t been aware of it, here’s how you should brush from this day onwards.

• Hold the brush at an angle of 45 degrees from your teeth surface. No, you don’t have to pick up your geometry instruments to measure it. You just have to tilt the brush at an approximate 45-degree angle from the surface.

• Brush the front teeth first. Use upward and downward motions to clean them.
• Brush both sides of your front and side teeth.
• Brush the front, back, and top of the molars as these have three exposed sides.
• Brush only one tooth at a time. Brushing two or three at the same time won’t clean them enough.
• Apply short strokes to brush your teeth.
• Use gentle strokes when brushing. Brushing too hard will only cause discomfort and damage your gums.
• Brush along the gum line carefully and gently. This will help prevent any plaque formation.

It may take practice but it is definitely not too difficult. Try brushing this way starting today.

Happy smiling!

Tags: Brushing, how to brush