You're brushing your teeth wrong

All this time, we've spent our lives diligently scrubbing away at our teeth morning and night – and we've been getting it very wrong.

It seems there are some crucial errors that nearly everyone makes when they're brushing their chompers, with leading Sydney dentist Dr Luke Cronin telling Be there are five key things everyone needs to correct.

Rinsing
"Don’t rinse immediately after brushing as this will wash away the concentrated fluoride in the remaining toothpaste," Dr Cronin says. Leaving the paste on the surface for a while "will continue to protect your teeth".

Brushing right after meals
"Avoid brushing for at least 30 minutes after eating and drinking as most types of foods and drinks can weaken your enamel and brushing too soon will cause further damage," Dr Cronin explains. "This is particularly important after acidic foods and drinks. Be sure to drink plenty of water after eating and drinking, and if you are in a rush to work or have a set routine, brush your teeth before eating breakfast."

Not brushing for long enough
"We all know that we need to brush our teeth for two minutes, however, on average a person will only spend 45 seconds brushing their teeth," Dr Cronin reveals. "Try walking around the house or watching television while you brush your teeth, you’re more likely to spend the recommend two minutes!"

Using your toothbrush at the wrong angle
Whoops: guilty as charged over here. "Hold the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle (downward for your bottom teeth and upward for
your top teeth) and by using a gentle circle movement the bristles will clean under the gum line where plaque can reside," Dr Cronin explains. "If you have an electric toothbrush, you will only need to hold the brush at a 45-degree angle and move the brush along your top and bottom teeth. At our clinic, we recommend electric toothbrushes including Philips Sonicare DiamondClean [Dr Cronin is a Philips Sonicare ambassador], that offer several effective cleaning modes."

Brushing too hard
"Brushing harder doesn't mean you will clean your teeth more effectively, in fact, it can even damage your oral health," Dr Cronin says. "As long as you reach all areas of your mouth in a gentle manner with the correct technique you’ll be able to clean your teeth without damage. Again, invest in a quality brush, ideally an electric brush which you can more easily glide across your teeth for the full two minutes instead of brushing back and forth in a harsh manner."

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