Why Brushing Properly is Better than Brushing Often
Many people in America learn at a young age to brush their teeth three times a day. The fact is, bacterial plaque colonized on your teeth causes dental decay and gum disease. If you remove them one time a day you will stay free of periodontal disease. It really is that simple.
Why Brush Often?
In the 1950s, toothpaste companies started promoting brushing three times per day for freshness so we would use more of their product. Even brushing that often does not mean plaque is fully removed.
Parents and siblings teach their kids and the younger siblings how to brush their teeth. When taught how to clean their teeth in a dental office it’s more of a cursory service which is time-consuming. There is a long history and rationale behind why dental offices do not really focus on training their patients to clean their teeth of bacterial plaque.
Would You Pay to Learn How to Brush Your Teeth?
Much like a golf or tennis coach can teach somebody how to become a good player, teaching people how to remove plaque is time-consuming. This training requires practice and effort. It is not always much fun for the teacher and not always that interesting for the person being taught. In addition, people are not used to paying to learn how to remove plaque from their teeth. People will pay for tennis, golf, or music lessons, but most people think they already know how to brush their teeth, so they do not value this instruction.
Final Thoughts
Patients who invest the time to learn how to remove plaque when they brush save the expense of unhealthy teeth and gums over time. We advocate frequent brushing. However, if someone brushes properly to remove plaque just once a day, that individual is likely to have a healthy mouth.
