Are You Brushing Your Teeth Properly? 10 Mistakes You Might Be Making

If you've been brushing your teeth twice a day for most of your life, it's reasonable to assume you've got it pretty well nailed by now.

And you probably have, for the most part.

But brushing twice a day and getting the most out of those two minutes aren't necessarily the same thing. There are a few surprisingly small habits that can make a difference, from rinsing all the toothpaste away afterwards to consistently missing the same part of your mouth without realising it.

So, rather than telling you to brush twice a day (we're fairly sure you've heard that one), here are some of the less obvious things worth checking.

1. Rinsing your mouth after brushing

This one catches a lot of people out because rinsing feels like the natural final step.

You've brushed, you spit out the toothpaste, then you swill your mouth with water to get rid of what's left.

The problem is that you're also washing away the fluoride you've just put onto your teeth. Fluoride helps protect and strengthen the enamel, so ideally you want to give it some time to stay there and do its job.

The advice is simple: spit, but don't rinse.

It might feel a little odd at first if you've spent years doing the opposite, but you get used to it pretty quickly.

2. Following your toothpaste with mouthwash

For much the same reason, reaching straight for the mouthwash after brushing isn't particularly helpful.

Most everyday mouthwashes contain a lower concentration of fluoride than your toothpaste. Using one immediately afterwards can therefore wash away the more concentrated fluoride you've just brushed onto your teeth.

That doesn't mean mouthwash is useless. If you're using one, choose another point in the day rather than making it the automatic final step in your brushing routine.

3. Brushing straight after breakfast

If you've just had something acidic, your enamel can be temporarily softened. Fruit juice, citrus fruits and plenty of other breakfast favourites can all lower the pH in your mouth.

Saliva helps neutralise those acids and allows the enamel to reharden. If you immediately go in with a toothbrush, you're brushing while that surface is more vulnerable.

This is one reason brushing before breakfast can work well. If you prefer to brush afterwards, give your mouth some time to recover first rather than heading straight from the breakfast table to the bathroom.

4. Assuming two minutes means you've cleaned everywhere

You can brush for exactly two minutes and still miss quite a lot.

We all have a tendency to follow the same route around our mouths. Over time, that means certain teeth can get plenty of attention while other areas get a fairly rushed job.

Even being right or left-handed can influence which areas feel easiest to reach. Try changing where you start occasionally and pay attention to the teeth right at the back, the inside surfaces and the gumline rather than simply running the brush over the most visible parts.

If you're genuinely not sure how good your technique is, you don't have to guess. Nova's free Toothbrushing Coach lets you send us a video of yourself brushing. One of our online dentists can then look at your technique and give you personalised feedback on what you're doing well and where you could improve.

5. Thinking harder brushing means cleaner teeth

More pressure doesn't necessarily mean you're removing more plaque.

In fact, being too enthusiastic with your toothbrush can irritate the gums and contribute to wear around the necks of the teeth over time.

You don't need to scrub your teeth as though you're trying to remove something baked onto a saucepan. The bristles need good contact with the tooth and gumline, but the technique matters far more than brute force.

If you use an electric toothbrush with a pressure sensor, pay attention to it. If it's regularly warning you that you're pressing too hard, believe it.

6. Brushing the teeth but missing the gumline

Most people naturally concentrate on the white bit of the tooth they can see.

Plaque, unfortunately, is rather fond of the border where the tooth meets the gum.

That's why brushing technique matters. The bristles need to reach around the gumline rather than simply sweeping backwards and forwards across the middle of each tooth.

If the gums regularly look red or bleed when you brush, don't simply avoid the area because you're worried about making it worse. Bleeding is commonly a sign of inflammation caused by plaque building up around the gumline.

7. Expecting your toothbrush to clean between your teeth

However good your toothbrush is, there are places its bristles simply aren't designed to reach properly.

The spaces between your teeth are the obvious example.

That's where floss or interdental brushes come in. Interdental brushes are particularly useful where there's enough room for one to fit comfortably, while floss can work well in tighter spaces.

This isn't an optional extra for people who are particularly enthusiastic about their teeth. Cleaning between them tackles areas your toothbrush leaves behind.

8. Stopping because your gums bleed

This is an understandable reaction.

You floss between two teeth, see blood and think you've damaged the gum, so you leave that area alone for a while.

But bleeding gums are commonly inflamed gums. Plaque has been sitting around the area, the tissue has become irritated and cleaning exposes that inflammation.

That doesn't mean you should attack a sore gum with floss. Technique still matters. But consistently avoiding an area because it bleeds can allow the reason it's bleeding to continue.

If the bleeding persists despite good cleaning, that's something worth mentioning to your dentist or hygienist.

9. Thinking it's only the amount of sugar that matters

Most people know sugar isn't particularly friendly to teeth.

What gets less attention is how often your teeth are exposed to it.

Every time you eat or drink something containing sugar, bacteria in the mouth produce acids. Your saliva then needs time to neutralise those acids and help the teeth recover.

If you're constantly grazing, sipping a sugary drink or picking at sweets throughout the afternoon, your teeth keep going through that cycle.

Having something sweet with a meal is therefore very different from repeatedly exposing your teeth to sugar throughout the day.

10. Judging your brushing by how fresh your mouth feels

A minty mouth feels clean. Unfortunately, the two aren't quite the same thing.

Toothpaste and mouthwash can make your mouth taste and smell fresh without telling you much about how thoroughly plaque has actually been removed.

A better test is consistency. Are you reaching every surface? Are you cleaning around the gumline? Are you cleaning between your teeth? Are there areas that regularly bleed or always seem to collect plaque?

Those are much more useful questions than whether your toothpaste has left your mouth feeling suitably minty.

Good brushing isn't about being perfect

Nobody needs to turn their twice-daily brushing routine into a military operation.

What matters is making those few minutes count. Brush thoroughly rather than aggressively, pay attention to the places that are easy to miss, clean between your teeth and leave the fluoride from your toothpaste in place afterwards.

It's also worth remembering that everyone's mouth is slightly different. Crowding, gum recession, bridges, implants and existing dental work can all change which areas need a little more attention.

If you're doing most of the basics already, you're probably much closer than you think. A couple of small changes to your technique may be all that's needed to make your everyday routine work a lot harder for your teeth.