Tips For Using An Electric Toothbrush

Have you switched over to an electric toothbrush so that you do a better job at brushing your teeth? If so, know that you still need to use it the right way for it to be effective. Here are some tips for using your electric toothbrush.

Use A Small Amount Of Toothpaste

You do not need that much toothpaste to use an electric toothbrush. You only need to apply enough toothpaste to form the size of a large pea on the toothbrush. Anything more than that is wasteful and not necessary. In addition, always wait to turn the toothbrush on once it is in your mouth. If not, you are going to cause toothpaste to splatter all over the bathroom rather than get it in your mouth. 

Position The Brush Properly

The purpose of brushing your teeth is to remove plaque and bacteria, which typically collect in the place where your teeth meet the gum line. That is why you need to actually overlap the brush so that it is half on the gums and half on your teeth. This will allow the bristles of the brush to get into that groove along your gums and get rid of the plaque that is currently trapped there. 

You should also do a pass along the chewing surface of your teeth as well, which will help get food debris out of the pits and grooves of your teeth. That said, you should spend the majority of your time brushing along the gums. 

Apply Gentle Pressure

You do not need to brush hard when you use an electric toothbrush. All you typically have to do is rest the toothbrush gently on the gums for it to work its magic. Some advanced toothbrushes will come with a pressure sensor, which lets you know if you are putting too much pressure against your teeth and gums with the brush. 

Gently Move The Toothbrush

You should not be moving an electric toothbrush in the same manner as a regular toothbrush, which is with those back and forth motions. Instead, know that you just need to rest the toothbrush on your teeth so that the brush can do the cleaning for you. If you are rapidly moving the electric toothbrush around, you are losing out on many of the benefits of using an electric toothbrush. 

Ask your dentist for more tips about how you should be using your electric toothbrush.

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