What dental experts say about how you’re brushing your teeth

Few people know more about the best way to clean the mouth than Dagmar Else Slot and Fridus van der Weijden. This Dutch dental duo is the author of more than 100 research articles together, and now they try something particularly ambitious: write the final guide to clean your teeth and your gums.

Slot, a dental hygienist, and Van der Weijden, a dentist, made this guide the mission of their lives. They have been there for 15 years and they haven’t finished it yet.

They say that in their decades of work, they discovered that people often think that they are doing good work with their dental hygiene, but in fact it is quite lower.

“It’s a kind of supervised negligence,” said Slot. “Everyone brushes their teeth, but you have probably learned how your parents, and in the end, nobody really learns it. In almost 100% of cases, there is room to improve. ”

With a team of doctoral students, Slot and Van der Weijden are going through thousands of studies to create a dental manifesto based on science answers at home:

• What type of toothbrush is the best?
• What about toothpaste?
• How long do you have to brush yourself?
• Does the button rinse really help to fight against the cavities?

Slot, a preventive oral health professor, and Van der Weijden, professor emeritus of parodontology, both at the university dentistry center in Amsterdam, decided to undertake this gigantic project after decades of dental questions at home of patients, colleagues and friends. As scientists, they wanted to respond according to all of the published research, not just their own opinions and observations.

“To be honest, I didn’t have an answer,” said Van der Weijden.

He knows that dental health is in a very poor condition. In the United States, around 40% of adults aged 30 or over suffer from a gum disease, according to centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the National Institutes of Health.

Disinformation on fluoride

“On social networks, influencers tell people to be fluoride and make oil shooting where you drink your mouth with oil,” said Slot. “They do not give advice according to science.”

The best practices are important – especially if you live in a community or a state in the United States which plans to prohibit fluoride in drinking water, which could lead to an increase in dental problems.

Teeth pain can be miserable

In 2017, there were 2.1 million emergencies for dental emergencies, according to the CDC. This does not include visits to the dentist to obtain a cavity filled with cavity or a radicular channel – and having someone to pierce in your mouth is never fun.

Bad teeth can be expensive

In 2021, the Americans who had at least one dental visit that year spent an average of $ 887 in dental care, according to the Federal Agency for Research and the Quality of Health Care. The costs do not stop there: almost $ 46 billion is lost in productivity in the United States each year due to an untreated oral disease, according to the CDC.

Third, your mouth is connected to the rest of your body. The gum disease has been associated with a number of health problems, including heart disease and diabetes, according to American Dental Association. A 2016 analysis of research on periodontal diseases revealed that gum disease can be linked to 57 chronic conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular and hepatic diseases, as well as premature births.

Slot and Van der Weijden said they needed about three years to complete their Magnum Opus. In the meantime, they have shared their best practices recommended for adult dental care, as well as the suggestions of two American dental experts: Lancette Vanguilder, president of the American Dental Hygiénists Association, and Dr Mia Geisinger, President of the American Academy of Periodontology.

Use an electric toothbrush for two minutes

Experts have said you need a technique spectacular enough to make the traditional toothbrush works as effectively as the electric. They suggested one with a timer, so you brush for the two full minutes. The American Dental Association recommends soft hairs, and the experts said that the size and shape of the toothbrush head (rectangular or circle) depends on the size of your mouth and other personal factors.

Use a quantity of toothpaste

No more better here because an excessive toothpaste could deceive you.

A mouth full of foam could hide the fact that your gums bleed, and it is an important warning sign that you should notice and discuss with your dentist, said Vanguilder. Van der Weijden has another reason not to load your brush.

“The toothpaste has surfactants – a detergent – which makes your teeth smooth, so you have an almost immediate sensation that you have cleaned your teeth when you probably did not do a good job,” he said.

The American Dental Association only recommends toothpaste containing fluorine.

For teeth on the back, consider a second smaller brush

If your toothbrush is too large to get to your rear teeth, remember to buy a children’s size brush to reach them, said Vanguilder. In addition, close the mouth a little relaxes your jaw muscles and gives you more space there.

For the teeth, use tiny interdental brushes

“The use of Floss appropriately is very difficult,” said Slot. “It doesn’t work well in everyone’s hands.” Several studies, including a 2018 review of 22 clinical trials, revealed that interdental brushes were better than dental silk or other tools to reduce inflammation of the gums. Some have rubber hairs and some have nylon hair. Both are available in pharmacies, and these tiny interdental brushes are intended to complete an ordinary toothbrush, and not to replace it.

Do you first have dental silk or brushing?

Geisinger, the periodontist, first recommends cleaning between your teeth, then brushing – she says that it is useful to get the big pieces of filth out so that the brush can enter and do his job.

If you prefer dental thread, experts have said it generally does not matter if you choose Ciré or useless – depending on what you prefer, that’s good.

Yes, the button rinse is easy – but be careful

“Many people will choose a mouthwash instead of cleaning between your teeth, and cleaning between your teeth is really much more beneficial,” said Geisinger. If you want to use a foul rinse with dental silk or interdental brushes, it warns that mouthwash with alcohol can contribute to dental caries for dry food.