Brushing your teeth

• Brushing regularly, for two minutes or more, twice a day, is an important part of oral health care.

  Brushing correctly: A quick visual guide

  1. Place the brush on your teeth at an angle of 45° and use small movements. Don’t scrub!

  
  
  2. Clean systematically around the mouth. Start with the outside, then the inside; first the upper jaw, then the lower.

  
  
  3. Be particularly careful about cleaning the inner surfaces of your teeth.

  
  
  4. When cleaning the inner surfaces of your incisors, you can hold the toothbrush vertically.

  
  
  5. Finally, clean the chewing surfaces of your molars. Here it is OK to scrub. Rinse out and you're done.

  
  
  
  

  Here are some more tips for effective brushing:

  Be gentle

  Rough brushing and shaggy toothbrushes can damage tooth enamel.

  Be methodical

  A routine will help ensure you clean every corner of your mouth every time you brush. For example, start with the outer surfaces of your teeth, work from the back teeth to the front and then head to the inner surfaces. Then brush all the biting surfaces.

  Pay special attention to the area where the teeth meet gums

  Be especially careful to brush away plaque from the area around the gums and in the gaps between teeth. Combined with regular flossing, this will help you control plaque build-up.

  Brush at an angle to the gums

  Brush in a circular or elliptical fashion. Using a back and forth 'sawing' motion can risk making the root surface tender and wear down the gum line.

  Use the correct toothbrush

  When buying a toothbrush, look for one with a small-headed brush and a handle that's comfortable to grip. Dentists recommend you should replace your brush every three months.

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  So what makes you cringe?

  • Biting into ice cream?
  • Jogging on a cold, windy morning?
  • Drinking an icy-cold drink on a summer's day?

  A quick and simple way you can test for signs of sensitivity is to take the Chill Test on this website.

• • Causes of sensitivity
  • Triggers
  • Understanding your teeth
  • Dental hypersensitivity
  • How Sensodyne works
  • Dental advice
  • Brushing
  • FAQ