Boise Dental Toothbrush Recommendations

When it comes to maintaining healthy teeth and gums, it’s essential to brush your teeth twice a day, floss regularly, avoid high sugar foods/drinks, and get regular dental checkups with your Boise dentist.

However, even if you follow all these basic steps, you may be inadvertently causing damage by not replacing your toothbrush on a regular basis. That’s why Summit Dental would like to take a closer look at the importance of your toothbrush in today’s blog post.

Why Brushing Your Teeth Is Important

First, and foremost, let’s cover the basics. Why is brushing your teeth so important? Well, brushing works to remove plaque – the sticky, thin coating that covers your teeth that comes from food, beverages, and saliva. Since plaque is filled with bacteria, it needs to be removed regularly through brushing and flossing. If it’s not, plaque will harden into tartar and eat away at the enamel of your teeth while damaging your gums in the process, leading to gingivitis. Keep in mind that plaque can be removed at home but tartar can only be removed during a professional teeth cleaning at Summit Dental.

Boise Dental Recommendations

When  you brush your teeth, it’s important to use the right toothbrush that allows you to reach all the teeth in your mouth. This includes the molars located in the very back of your mouth. Even more, it is just as important to choose a toothbrush with the right type of bristles.

Whether you use a manual or electric toothbrush (both are fine), you will want to make sure it has soft-bristles with rounded tips. Medium or hard-bristled toothbrushes can be overly abrasive which can cause injury to your gums and tooth enamel. Furthermore, you should always look for the ADA (American Dental Association) approval on a toothbrush before you purchase it. If you are unsure what toothbrush is best for you, talk to your Boise dentist at Summit Dental for their recommendation.

Replacing Your Toothbrush

Once you get the best toothbrush for you and schedule regular teeth cleanings, it’s important to replace your toothbrush or toothbrush head every three months. Why? At the end of three months, the bristles of your toothbrush begins to fray, reducing their effectiveness.

Last but not least, you should always purchase a new toothbrush if you’ve recovered from being sick. You don’t want these germs to collect on your toothbrush, further infecting you. You’ll also want to rinse your toothbrush after every use and store it in a vertical position where the bristles can dry thoroughly. Never store it in a closed container where bacteria can grow and fester.

Summit Dental Teeth Cleanings

When it comes to scheduling a professional teeth cleaning, contact the Boise dentists at Summit Dental by filling out our online form or call us at (208) 314-2275 today.