The correct use of the toothbrush and aids such as interdental brushes and dental floss will help to keep teeth and gums healthy .
- The brush should have bristles of nylon , rather than bristles made of natural hair, which wear the teeth and injure the gums.
- Always use a soft toothbrush or a medium one.
- You need to change your toothbrush every three months.
- If the bristles of the toothbrush get bent or deformed, you need to change the brush and to re-evaluate the way you use it , since it is more likely that you apply greater pressure than what is necessary.
- Always prefer toothbrushes with small heads, they provide better access to difficult areas of your oral cavity and improved manual control.
- The toothbrushes that have longer tufts in the front are more advantageous in removing plaque.
- Always brush separately teeth in the upper and lower jaw.
- Place the toothbrush inclined obliquely – around 45o- to the surface of the teeth where the teeth and gums meet, always pointing towards the root of the tooth.
- Make small circular movements and without moving the brush from tooth to tooth.
- Brush aswell as the surface used for chewing , and the inside surfaces .
- The minimum brushing time is around 3 minutes.
- After brushing clean the spaces between adjacent teeth with floss or interdental brush .
- The right size of interdental brush is the biggest one that would fit the interdental space, without causing any pain or discomfort.