Dentistry Do not brush teeth too often

Brushing twice a day is enough

09/04/2015

Brushing teeth is the most effective way to prevent tooth decay, gingivitis and unpleasant toothache. It is already taught children that teeth can not be cleaned often enough. Experts urge caution here again and again, because too frequent brushing the teeth are damaged.

Frequent brushing attacks the enamel
„Do not forget to brush your teeth after eating!“ This is the common motto that children learn from their parents or grandparents. But is frequent dental hygiene really useful? From the point of view of the director of the Department of Restorative Dentistry and Preventive Dentistry at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Prof. Ursula Platzer, not. Rather, it can even damage the teeth. Because who „brushed ten times a day with a hard toothbrush, scrubbing the enamel off“, so the expert opposite the news agency „dpa“.

After red wine for dinner, wait one hour to clean it
Instead, it is sufficient to brush your teeth thoroughly twice a day, with the right timing depending, among other things, on eating habits. Accordingly, for example, after a glass of orange juice for breakfast or the red wine in the evening about one hour to be maintained with the teeth cleaning. The reason: acidic foods and drinks attack the enamel, which, however, regenerates itself by the saliva within 60 minutes. If cleaning is done during this time, damage to the enamel is threatened accordingly, continues Prof. Ursula Platzer.

Change the toothbrush every two to three months at the latest
The right technique can be best taught by the dentist, this is also the right contact for suitable tools such as interdental brushes. Basically, a toothbrush with a small head and soft, straight bristles should be used for brushing, according to Platzer. In order not to injure the gums, these should also be made of plastic. Bristles made of natural hair, however, are not recommended, because these are usually hollow, allowing bacteria to accumulate undisturbed and multiply undisturbed, according to information from the University of Greifswald. As soon as the bristles of the toothbrush look properly "frayed", it must also be replaced, but no later than every two to three months, to be able to thoroughly clean the teeth without much effort. (No)