When it comes to your teeth, you can never be too careful about exhibiting precise and proper dental hygiene. Many people do not realize that their teeth is one of the most vital parts of their overall health. Your quality of life depends heavily on keeping them in tip top shape!
Everybody knows that one of the best ways to maintain healthy teeth is with regular brushing. A high quality, soft bristled toothbrush and well formulated toothpaste are the most important weapons in your dental hygiene arsenal. However, it’s not as simple as just slathering any amount of tooth paste on the brush and getting down to business. There are many fine details of brushing that can be honed for optimal results, including motion, pressure, time spent in one location, and more.
One of the most frequently asked questions, and the one that typically generates the most confusion is about the amount of toothpaste you use. Is there an optimal amount of toothpaste? If so, what is it? Like most dentistry, it is more of an exact science than it might seem. It turns out that not only is there an optimal amount of toothpaste to be using but, unfortunately, its unlikely that you are currently using that amount!
What is Toothpaste?
Contrary to popular opinion, it is your toothbrush that does the majority of the heavy lifting when cleaning your teeth. Toothpaste acts as an extra abrasive material to some degree, slightly improving the toothbrush’s ability to lift away grime. However, it is mostly just there to freshen your mouth.
A Lot of Toothpaste, or a Little?
Considering the relatively small role toothpaste plays in actual dental hygiene, it is likely that many of us are using far too much in our daily routines. Toothpaste manufactures will often show massive dollops of toothpaste on a brush, implying much greater needed quantities. This carries obvious benefits for them, as more toothpaste used per brushing translates into more sales.
The healthiest amount of toothpaste, however, is actually just a pea sized squirt onto the brush. Excessive toothpaste can cause numerous problems. For one, it exacerbates the mild abrasive properties of toothpaste, to the point where it can cause overbrushing. This phenomenon is responsible for the large majority of cases involving the wearing away of tooth enamel and gum recession.
Furthermore, more toothpaste is the culprit causing the large amounts of foam in our mouths while brushing. This foam is the reason we spit so often, which is not only unpleasant and messy, but actually reduces our perceived tooth brushing time. Dentists recommend 2 minutes of uninterrupted tooth brushing, which is pretty tough to accomplish with a mouth full of foam!
Finally, some compounds used in toothpaste have been linked to the generation of canker sores, particularly Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. Obviously, less is better for individuals prone to these painful inconveniences. Other compounds, however, are beneficial, and still warrant the use of some toothpaste. The most controversial of these, fluoride, is proven to rebuild damaged teeth.
Conclusion
In short, save your money, and fret not about severely reducing the amount of toothpaste you use. A mere pea sized amount is adequate for optimal oral hygiene, despite what the toothpaste manufacturers would have you believe. Not only will it make your daily brushings more enjoyable, but your teeth will thank you!
