Did you know you can cause more harm than good when brushing your teeth when you’re brushing too hard? Here’s everything you need to know about how brushing too hard can damage your oral health.
The Dangers of Brushing Too Hard
When you’re brushing your teeth, you want to make sure you do it correctly. Here are some common problems we see from overbrushing:
Damaged Teeth Enamel
When you’re brushing too hard or are using a manual toothbrush with hard bristles, it can cause erosion or abrasion to your teeth enamel. This erosion or abrasion of your teeth enamel can lead to other oral health problems such as teeth sensitivity and increased risk of cavities.
Gum Recession
Gum recession happens when your gum tissue recedes, exposing the roots of your teeth. This can lead to changing the shape of your root, which can also increase your risk of cavities and tooth sensitivity.
Irritated Gums
Brushing your teeth too hard can cause your gums to bleed. This often leads to gum irritation, which can cause gum disease over an extended period of time.
Less Effective Toothbrush
When you’re applying too much pressure to your toothbrush, it can cause the bristles to wear out faster than normal. You’ll have to replace your toothbrush (or toothbrush head if you’re using an electric toothbrush) more often.
What You Can Do to Prevent Brushing Too Hard
Our best recommendation to prevent brushing your teeth too hard is to invest in an electric toothbrush rather than a manual toothbrush. Here’s why we love them:
Built-In Pressure Sensor
Many electric toothbrushes nowadays have a built-in pressure sensor that alerts you when you’re applying too much pressure to your toothbrush. This helps you learn how to brush with a back-and-forth motion that is gentle.
Timer
Another perk of using an electric toothbrush is that many of them have a two-minute timer. This helps you make sure that you’re spending two minutes, morning and night, brushing your teeth.
Softer Bristles
Most electric toothbrushes have softer bristles than manual toothbrushes. They will be gentler on your teeth and gums.
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About Krengel Dental, Modern Twin Cities Dentist
At Krengel Dental, we’re not your average dentist. We do everything we can to help your smile shine. If you’re looking for the best modern dentist in Bloomington, MN, we would love to help you. Not in Bloomington, MN but live nearby? Be sure to check out our St. Louis Park location. Visit our contact page to book an appointment with us.
