2 Mistakes To Avoid When Brushing Your Teeth With An Electric Toothbrush

If you have decided to ditch your regular toothbrush for an electric one, you may wonder if there is anything different you need to do while using it. If so, make sure you avoid the following mistakes while brushing your teeth with an electric toothbrush to ensure you get your teeth clean without damaging them or your gums.

Brushing Too Fast

When you start using your electric toothbrush, you may think that you will be able to reduce the time it takes to brush your teeth. After all, the brush head moves while you are using it, so it should be able to clean your teeth faster, right?

While this may seem to be the case, brushing your teeth too quickly with an electric toothbrush does not completely clean all of the surfaces of your teeth. As you slowly glide the brush's head over your teeth, pause for a few seconds to give the bristles time to deeply clean them. If you are not spending at least a couple of minutes total, you may be missing a few spots.

Pressing Down Hard

Another misconception you may have about using your electric toothbrush is that you have to push down hard while the bristles move over the surfaces of your teeth. You may feel that you are removing even more tartar and plaque by applying increased pressure.

However, if you press down too hard, especially while using an electric toothbrush, you run the risk of damaging and scratching your teeth's enamel. Also, while you are pressing the bristles down into your gum line, you could make your gums sore or even cut them.

Instead of pushing down on your electric toothbrush, apply light pressure while brushing your teeth. While you hold the brush head over each tooth, let it do the work for you.

Especially if you use an electric toothbrush with high revolutions per minute, the bristles will rotate fast enough to whisk away any residual food particles and tarter, leaving your teeth smooth and clean without hurting either your enamel or your gums. If you are unsure if your electric toothbrush is up to the job, speak with your dentist to get their recommendations.

Avoiding the above mistakes while using an electric toothbrush on your teeth can help you keep them cleaner without damaging your enamel or gum tissue. For more information on the proper way to brush your teeth or for general oral care tips, speak with your family dentist or a dental office like Porteous Family Dentistry for personalized advice.