Why Brushing Alone Can’t Keep Your Teeth Clean

When it comes to oral hygiene, one of the main things people focus on is brushing their teeth regularly. While this is a good practice, it’s not the only thing you should be doing to keep your teeth clean. Brushing alone is not sufficient.

Plaque Builds Up Anyway

Plaque is a substance that builds up on your teeth after eating and it usually contains bacteria. A buildup of plaque can lead to many problems including gum disease and tooth decay. If plaque is left in your mouth for several days, it hardens and becomes tartar which can only be removed by scraping it off. While brushing helps to reduce the amount of plaque, it’s not enough. Plaque will continue building up no matter what. According to Smile Dental Partners, to properly address plaque, you need to be flossing along with brushing and going to regular dental visits so your teeth can be properly cleaned.

Hard to Reach Places

When brushing, you are mostly getting the surfaces of your teeth. However, there are many hard-to-reach places that you simply can’t reach just through brushing alone. For example, the spaces between your teeth, which are a common area for plaque to build up, are not efficiently cleaned while brushing your teeth. According to Stellar Family Orthodontics, flossing can help keep the spaces in between your teeth clean of plaque buildup. Additionally, flossing can also address plaque buildup along the gum line. By doing more to clean harder-to-reach places, you can avoid cavities, tooth decay, gum disease, and more.

Miss Ignored Places

When brushing your teeth, your main focus is of course your teeth. However, your mouth contains more than just your teeth. When it comes to oral hygiene, you want to make sure you are being thorough and cleaning your whole mouth. According to Kyrene Family Dentistry, one way to clean the entire mouth is by using mouthwash. This way you can clean your teeth and gums along with the roof of your mouth and your cheeks. Mouthwash is also a great way to treat canker sores and it can even be used to aid in post-surgery recovery. Just make sure you find a mouthwash that doesn’t have a high alcohol content as these types of mouthwash can be damaging. You should also make sure to continue brushing and flossing when using mouthwash.

Your oral hygiene is extremely important and you want to make sure you are doing all you can. Brushing your teeth twice daily is an essential part of your oral health. Just make sure you add additional steps, like flossing and going to the dentist, in order to be thorough.

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