{"id":660,"date":"2023-12-20T12:49:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-20T12:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.richardfossumdds.com\/blog\/?p=660"},"modified":"2024-01-11T00:50:29","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T00:50:29","slug":"4-common-teeth-cleaning-mistakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.richardfossumdds.com\/blog\/4-common-teeth-cleaning-mistakes\/","title":{"rendered":"Cringy Dental Care: 4 Teeth Cleaning Mistakes You Should Stop"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.richardfossumdds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/AdobeStock_225653434__1704928787_18030.jpg\" alt=\"A frowning woman brushing her teeth\" class=\"wp-image-661\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.5009380863039399;width:299px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.richardfossumdds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/AdobeStock_225653434__1704928787_18030.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.richardfossumdds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/AdobeStock_225653434__1704928787_18030-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.richardfossumdds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/AdobeStock_225653434__1704928787_18030-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re like most, you probably think teeth-cleaning is easy. That\u2019s only natural \u2013 brushing and flossing usually seem simple. However, getting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.richardfossumdds.com\/preventive-dentistry.html\">clean chompers<\/a> is often tricky. There are a wide range of mistakes you might make in the process. Left untended, these errors will raise your risk of cavities and gum disease. Still, your Temple dentist can help you out a bit. Here are four common teeth-cleaning mistakes and how best to avoid them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You Rush Your Brushing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When you\u2019re in a hurry, it\u2019s tempting to rush through your brushing. That said, this habit won\u2019t do you any favors. Your grin will stay dirty if you don\u2019t brush your teeth long enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You see, dentists suggest that you brush for two minutes per session. That\u2019s the time needed to remove the plaque and bacteria on your smile. So, only going for a minute (or even less) just won\u2019t cut it. To compensate, consider setting a timer or listening to music while you brush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You Rarely Replace Your Toothbrush<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As trusty as they are, don\u2019t let yourself think toothbrushes last forever. They eventually wear down from constant use. When you don\u2019t replace them regularly, they harm your smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember, a toothbrush uses bristles to clean your pearly whites. These barbs fray and gather harmful bacteria over time. Therefore, failing to replace a brush head leads to ineffective brushing. Instead, you should switch to a new toothbrush every 3-4 months for proper oral care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You Don\u2019t Floss<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Many people see flossing as a boring chore. As such, you may think skipping this practice is okay. The truth, though, is that the idea is risky. Going without floss may well ruin your smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In reality, your toothbrush can\u2019t clean your teeth enough on its own. It\u2019ll miss some hard-to-reach places in your mouth. For that reason, you should floss between your teeth once daily. Doing so will eliminate the bacteria leftover from your brushing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You Ignore Your Gumline<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When brushing your teeth, maybe you just focus on your enamel. After all, that\u2019s the part of your mouth you want stain-free. Unfortunately, this approach is a costly mistake. Ignoring your gumline can cause oral issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To be honest, bad bacteria tend to gather near the gumline. You\u2019ll be at greater risk of gum disease if you don\u2019t clean it. Luckily, you can remedy this fault. Just remember to brush the area where your teeth meet your gums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you\u2019d expect, common teeth-cleaning mistakes are simple but severe. Make sure to fight against them in the future!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Author<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.richardfossumdds.com\/meet-dr-fossum.html\"><em>Dr. Richard Fossum<\/em><\/a><em> is your resident dentist here in Temple, TX. Since earning his dental doctorate, he\u2019s been helping patients\u2019 smiles for nearly thirty years. As such, his expertise includes preventive, cosmetic, and restorative work, as well as emergency dentistry. You\u2019re sure to get a dreamy grin with the help of him and his team! Today, Dr. Fossum practices at <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.richardfossumdds.com\/\"><em>his self-titled clinic<\/em><\/a><em> and is reachable on <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.richardfossumdds.com\/contact.html\"><em>his website<\/em><\/a><em> and by phone at <strong>(254)-778-3900.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019re like most, you probably think teeth-cleaning is easy. That\u2019s only natural \u2013 brushing and flossing usually seem simple. However, getting clean chompers is often tricky. There are a wide range of mistakes you might make in the process. Left untended, these errors will raise your risk of cavities and gum disease. Still, your [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>4 Common Teeth-Cleaning Mistakes | Dr. Richard Fossum, DDS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Even if you brush and floss daily, you might be making common teeth-cleaning mistakes. Here are four good examples and how to avoid them.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.richardfossumdds.com\/blog\/4-common-teeth-cleaning-mistakes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"4 Common Teeth-Cleaning Mistakes | Dr. Richard Fossum, DDS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Even if you brush and floss daily, you might be making common teeth-cleaning mistakes. 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