Almost everybody brushes their teeth. Rather fewer brush them in a way that reaches the places that actually matter. Knowing how to brush your teeth properly is not complicated, but a handful of small details make a genuine difference, and one of them, the one about rinsing, catches out nearly everyone.
On this page
- The basics, done well
- The technique that matters most
- Spit, do not rinse
- Common mistakes
- Brushing is only half the job
- Which toothbrush and toothpaste?
- A note on children
- What to take away
The basics, done well
- Twice a day, last thing at night and on one other occasion.
- Two minutes, which is considerably longer than most people brush. Time it once and you may be surprised.
- Fluoride toothpaste, which is the single most effective thing in your bathroom cabinet.
- A soft or medium brush. Hard bristles damage gums and wear enamel without cleaning any better.
Night-time brushing matters most. Saliva flow drops while you sleep, so anything left on your teeth has hours of undisturbed opportunity.
The technique that matters most
Here is the detail that separates adequate brushing from good brushing: angle the bristles towards the gum line at about 45 degrees, so they reach slightly under the edge of the gum.
That junction between tooth and gum is where plaque gathers and where gum disease begins. Brushing only the flat surfaces of your teeth leaves it untouched, which is why people with visibly clean teeth can still have inflamed gums.
Then use small circular movements or gentle short strokes rather than vigorous scrubbing. Work systematically around the mouth so nothing is missed: outer surfaces, inner surfaces, and biting surfaces, upper and lower.
Pay particular attention to the inside of the lower front teeth, where tartar builds fastest, and the outer surfaces of the upper back teeth, which are the most commonly missed area in the mouth.
Spit, do not rinse
This is the one nearly everyone gets wrong, and it costs you a good deal of the benefit.
After brushing, spit out the excess toothpaste but do not rinse your mouth with water. Rinsing washes away the concentrated fluoride that would otherwise sit on your teeth and keep working for some time afterwards.
Same principle applies to mouthwash: if you use it, use it at a different time of day rather than straight after brushing, since it dilutes the fluoride from your toothpaste. The NHS guidance on keeping your teeth clean makes the same point.
Common mistakes
- Brushing too hard. Scrubbing wears enamel and causes gum recession, and it does not clean better. If your bristles splay within a month, you are pressing too hard.
- Brushing straight after acidic food or drink. Wait around half an hour, since brushing acid-softened enamel wears it faster.
- Rushing. Two minutes genuinely means two minutes.
- Missing the gum line entirely, which is the most consequential omission of all.
- Keeping a brush too long. Replace it every three months, or sooner if the bristles splay.
- Avoiding areas that bleed. Bleeding gums need cleaning more, not less, and usually settle within a fortnight.
Brushing is only half the job
A toothbrush cannot reach between your teeth, and those surfaces make up roughly a third of each tooth. They are also where decay and gum disease most often begin.
So clean between your teeth once a day with interdental brushes or floss. Interdental brushes are generally more effective where the gaps allow them, and getting the right sizes matters enormously: too small and the brush passes through without touching anything.
Ask to be shown which sizes fit your mouth. It takes two minutes at an appointment and makes the difference between a useful habit and a pointless one. Our post on whether gum disease is reversible explains why this step matters so much.
Which toothbrush and toothpaste?
Electric or manual? A well-used manual brush beats a badly used electric one. That said, electric brushes, particularly oscillating or sonic types, do tend to remove more plaque for most people, largely because they encourage better technique and have built-in timers.
Toothpaste: the fluoride content matters more than the brand or the claims on the box. Most adult toothpastes contain around 1350 to 1500 parts per million, which is what you want. Whitening toothpastes vary; some are simply more abrasive, which is worth knowing if you have bonding or other dental work.
A note on children
Children need help or supervision until around seven or eight, because the dexterity simply is not there before then, however capable they seem.
Use a smear of fluoride toothpaste for under-threes and a pea-sized amount from age three, and teach spitting rather than rinsing from the start. Our page on children’s dentistry covers the wider picture.
What to take away
Brush twice daily for two full minutes with fluoride toothpaste, angle the bristles towards the gum line, use gentle circles rather than scrubbing, clean between your teeth once a day, and spit rather than rinse. That routine, done consistently, prevents the great majority of dental problems.
If you would like your technique checked, or your gums are bleeding despite good brushing, book a hygiene appointment on 01255 422506. Our posts on coming back after years away and why you cannot smell your own breath may also be useful.
This article is general information rather than personal dental advice. Every mouth is different, so please speak to your dentist about your own teeth.