How Long Should You Brush Your Teeth?

Brushing teeth is something we do every day, but have you ever stopped to consider how long it should take to complete this simple task? It turns out that the length of time you spend plays a significant role in how effective your bushing will be. 

In this article, we’ll reveal the ideal length of time for which you should brush your teeth. After that, we’ll cover other important topics about teeth brushing and general dental health. By the time you are done reading, you’ll be more ready than ever before to keep your teeth healthy and looking fantastic.

How Long to Brush Your Teeth

Before diving into any related dental topics, let’s answer the main question of this article right away. Experts suggest that brushing your teeth should last about two minutes each time you do it. 

Brushing for at least two minutes helps ensure that you remove plaque and food particles from all parts of your mouth. However, as the sections to follow will show, there are many other factors to consider when brushing your teeth and sustaining your overall dental health. 

How Often Should You Brush Your Teeth?

Just as there are guidelines to consider when choosing how long to brush your teeth, there are guidelines for how often to do it as well. Typically, most dentists will agree that it is best to brush your teeth at least twice per day. As mentioned above, each of those brushing sessions should last around two minutes. 

Brushing for two minus twice per day is an excellent baseline when caring for your dental health. However, brushing along is far from enough to ensure that your teeth, tongue, and gums remain as healthy as possible. 

Ideal Tooth Brushing Technique

Now that you understand how often you should brush your teeth, you should also learn what it takes to brush your teeth correctly. While many people take tooth brushing techniques for granted, there are some tips that you should keep in mind to make the most out of your two m minutes of brushing. 

First, it’s best to use a circular motion with your brush. Although many of us are used to brushing back and forth, this motion can do some unnecessary damage to your gums. By using a small, gentle, circular motion, gum damage is less likely. 

Maintain that gentile circular motion as you clean just a few teeth at a time. Gradually work your way across the outer surfaces of your teeth, the inner surfaces of your teeth, the chewing surfaces of your teeth, and your tongue. 

While we have noted that it’s typically best to brush for two minutes per day, what’s most important is to ensure that you are cleaning all parts of your mouth effectively. The two-minute mark is merely a guideline to help you determine when your mouth has become sufficiently clean. 

Other Important Dental Health Routines

While brushing is the primary way most of us clean our teeth, the bristles of our brushes are rarely able to access all the places within our mouths in which food particles might get trapped. This is especially true of the small gaps between our teeth and near our gums. 

Since brushing can only do so much, it is important to implement additional steps to your daily dental health routine. Two of the most effective methods are flossing and rinsing, either with water or mouthwash. 

Many experts agree that you should floss at least once per day before or after one of your two daily brushing sessions. While brushing helps to clean the surfaces of your teeth, flossing will get the spaces between. Finishing the routine with mouthwash will help remove any loosened particles, kill remaining bacteria, and keep your breath smelling fresh.

What Happens if You Don’t Clean Your Teeth Well Enough?

Although most people agree that it’s important to brush and floss daily, many are also reluctant to do it on a regular basis. As such, it is important to point out some of the main reasons why it is so important to follow a complete dental care routine. 

If you fail to brush and floss your teeth properly, plaque will begin to build up over time. As plaque accumulates, it can react with the sugars you eat to create acid. That acid weakens your teeth and causes them to decay. As this situation worsens, your teeth will begin to develop cavities, and gum disease may become more likely as well. 

Brushing and flossing help to remove plaque before it has a chance to build up. By preventing plaque from accumulating in the first place, you stand a much better chance of avoiding tooth decay and the many complications that it can create.  

What Makes a Complete Dental Care Routine?

Many of us certainly stand to benefit from improving our at-home dental healthcare routine. However, even if you are diligent with brushing, flossing, and rinsing, your approach to dental health will not be complete.  

While home cleanings are effective for reducing plaque build-ups, it remains necessary to visit a dentist for cleanings on a regular basis. Professional dental cleanings help confirm the success of your at-home dental cleanings. Visiting a dentist also helps you recognize and prevent other dental issues before they become a problem. 

Finding the Right Dentist for You

As we mentioned above, finding a trusted dentist in your area is one of the most important parts of your dental health care. However, while there are many dentists to choose from, it can be difficult to find a dental team that truly takes the time to get to know your unique dental needs.

At Rocky Mountain Smiles, we pride ourselves on our service and our years of successful experience. If you live in the Loveland, CO, area and you are looking for a new dentist, reach out to us today!