Dr. Ellie
Is there a good or better way to brush my teeth? I just kind-of brush back and forth on all my teeth for about a minute, and my dentist is always pointing out places that I must be missing.
John in Greece, NY
Dear John,
Many people open their mouths too widely when they brush, which makes it impossible to reach the outside of the back upper molars. Try brushing inside the lower teeth first and the outside later. Dont forget your upper front teeth at the gum level. People will often turn their wrist when bushing the front teeth and skip over these. This may be the cause of the “problem areas” your dentist was pointing out.
Take care to brush the gum on the inside of the back molars. This is another place that is often missed.
Swollen gums is one of the first signs of gum disease–so if your gums bleed when brushed, you need to brush more often. But harder is not better. Brush with a softer brush, get all the spots, and slow down. Try to brush for two minutes.
Take care of those teeth!
Dr. Ellie.
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