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Brushing your teeth is one of those daily habits that are necessary to your overall oral health. But unless you set out to make it a quality habit, it can quickly fall by the wayside and end up doing you no good. Instead of wasting your time with ineffective procedures, there are a few things you can remember that will give you quality brushing and quality techniques leading to your best oral health.

Making Proper Oral Care a Habit

Dentists recommend brushing your teeth twice daily to help prevent plaque buildups and other issues. Sometimes the hardest part of brushing your teeth and the trickiest part to learn is how to make it a habit within your daily routine! Start with these tips to make brushing twice a day a habit for your daily life.

1. Make a Smile Diary

Half of the battle of brushing your teeth is that progress can be slow. You most likely won’t see changes in the brightness of your smile overnight or even after just a few days. To encourage yourself to keep brushing, take a smiley selfie each day and store them in a special folder on your phone. Then, you can look back through them and see your progress.

2. Start and End Your Day the Same

Building a healthy habit takes time and lots of repetition! Start and end your day by brushing your teeth so you teach your body to expect it at these times of the day. This routine will make you feel like you’re missing something at the beginning, or the end, of the day if you choose to skip the routine.

3. A Team Effort

Working, or brushing, together as a team helps the time go faster and can help keep you accountable. Get your roommate, significant other, or your children to start brushing at the same time as you. This way you can help keep each other accountable and have companionship during a routine event!

4. Think Outside the Box

Keep a toothbrush and travel-sized toothpaste in your car or office so you can get in a quick brushing even if you miss your regular time at home! You can also schedule time after lunch when you brush your teeth to extra opportunities to your routine.

Tips to Remember When Brushing

You’ve got your reminders set, your team in place, and you’ve made time in your schedule. But you also need to make sure the act of brushing is done properly each time. Here are some tips to make sure when you brush your teeth, you get it done right!

1. Choose the Right Brush

Always choose a soft-bristled brush that fits the size and shape of your mouth easily. This brush should also reach all areas within your mouth without issues. You can use an electric toothbrush that will give you a deeper and more effective clean than manual brushing.
Be sure to change your toothbrush or brush head every 3-4 months or as soon as the bristles are frayed. This ensures that the brush continues to work and keep your teeth and mouth clean. You’ll also want to use fluoride, ADA approved toothpaste when brushing to give you the best clean and finish.

2. Use the Proper Technique

Start with your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gums then move the brush back and forth in short strokes. Brush all the surfaces of the teeth and use a vertical tilt to your brush to clean the inside surfaces of the front teeth.

3. Long-term Care

Brushing twice a day is only part of the routine and lifestyle! Be sure to clean between teeth once a day by flossing to remove bacteria, plaque, and food particles from between teeth and under the gum line. Limit your intake of sugary drinks and snacks to keep the chances of gum disease and cavities to a minimum. Lastly, be sure to keep up on your visits to your dentist for regular cleanings and checkups! Your dentist can give you more tips on the best way to brush or changes that can be made to your overall technique to make it more effective.

Takeaway

Brushing your teeth is a habit that will benefit you greatly once you set up a good routine. But creating that routine can be tricky!
To help keep your brushing routine on track, use these hints and tips:

• Set reminders for yourself
• Brush with your family or roommates to keep each other accountable
• Keep a toothbrush in your car or office
• Take smiley selfies each day to track your progress
• Choose the right brush
• Use a good technique
• Don’t neglect your regular cleanings and check-ups!

Once you’ve got a good habit of brushing down, you’ll be able to see progress in your oral health in no time! Get regular cleanings and checkups with your dentist to be sure you’re doing a good job brushing and to keep your teeth looking their absolute best!