\n
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.<\/p>\n
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.<\/p>\n
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.<\/p>\n
Your support makes all the difference.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nRead more<\/span><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nBrushing your teeth well can be the difference between a perfect checkup at the dentist and a painful cavity. <\/p>\n
But, knowing just how to do it may not be something we\u2019re taught growing up.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody brushes their teeth, but you probably learned how from your parents, and in the end nobody really learns it right,\u201d Dagmar Else Slot, a Dutch dental hygienist, recently told NBC News. \u201cIn almost 100 percent of cases, there is room for improvement.\u201d<\/p>\n
The right way to brush your teeth is careful, considerate, and takes at least two minutes \u2013 or maybe even longer.<\/p>\n
So, what do the experts advise? Here\u2019s what to know.<\/p>\n
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\n<\/p>\n
open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Do you brush your teeth the right way? Dentists say there is always room for improvement (AFP via Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
How to brush<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n The manner in which you brush should be deliberate.<\/p>\n
Make circles on your teeth in a gentle sweeping motion. Brushing too hard can potentially hurt your gums. <\/p>\n
Be sure to divide your time tackling the upper and lower teeth, spending at least 30 seconds on each section. Hit every side of each tooth. <\/p>\n
How you hold your brush is also important. <\/p>\n
“The bristles should be aimed toward the gums where they meet the teeth, a junction where plaque and calculus collect. You don’t want the bristles to be perpendicular to your teeth, at a 90-degree angle, but angled, at a 45-degree angle,” Dr. Tien\u202fJiang, a prosthodontist at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, explained in a statement. <\/p>\n
Do this twice a day and floss before or after each time to ensure everything unwanted gets out of your mouth!<\/p>\n
The toothbrush and toothpaste<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\n
\n<\/p>\n
open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Many dentists recommend soft bristle brushes. Hard bristle toothbrushes may damage your teeth (AFP via Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nYou may not need as much toothpaste on your brush as you think. <\/p>\n
Just a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste is enough. <\/p>\n
Also ensure you have a good toothbrush that you like and will use regularly for a few months before replacing it. <\/p>\n
That includes one with bristles that are based on your gum health. <\/p>\n
Some toothbrushes are softer and others have hard bristles, although hard bristle toothbrushes may also remove part of your tooth structure, Dr. Sasha Ross told the Cleveland Clinic. <\/p>\n
For people with arthritis, an electric or battery-operated brush might be easier to use. <\/p>\n
“It’s not the toothbrush that matters, it’s the technique,” Jiang said. “You might have a brush that does all the work for you. But if you don’t have an excellent brushing technique, you’ll miss plaque, even with an electric toothbrush.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more Brushing your teeth well can be the difference between a perfect checkup at the dentist and a painful cavity. But, knowing just how to do it may not be something we\u2019re taught growing up. \u201cEverybody brushes their teeth, but you probably learned how from your parents, and in the end nobody really learns it right,\u201d Dagmar Else Slot, a Dutch dental hygienist, recently told NBC News. \u201cIn almost 100 percent of cases, there is room for improvement.\u201d The right way to brush your teeth is careful, considerate, and takes at least two minutes \u2013 or maybe even longer. So, what do the experts advise? Here\u2019s what to know. open image in gallery Do you brush your teeth the right way? Dentists say there is always room for improvement (AFP via Getty Images) How to brush The manner in which you brush should be deliberate. Make circles on your teeth in a gentle sweeping motion. Brushing too hard can potentially hurt your gums. Be sure to divide your time tackling the upper and lower teeth, spending at least 30 seconds on each section. Hit…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5029,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5028"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5028"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5028\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5029"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5028"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5028"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5028"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}