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I’ve often heard the question “how long is long enough when it comes to brushing your teeth?”. The problem with the question is in regards to the quality of brushing that is taking place. If you’re aimlessly scrubbing your teeth as time passes by just to say you brushed for a minute or two minutes or however long you have designated, the length of time may not matter all that much. The more important question might be “what are some things that I can do to maximize the quality of brushing my teeth?”.

Length of time very well may be something you can do to maximize the quality of brushing your teeth, but it most certainly is not the end all be all. Using circular brushing strokes as opposed to back and forth or up and down strokes would also be something you can do to maximize the quality of brushing your teeth. Along with the circular strokes, you want to make sure you are brushing up in and on your gums and not just on the visible tooth itself. Another thing you can do to maximize the quality of brushing your teeth is to make sure you spend just as much time brushing the insides of your teeth as you do the outside.

It’s very easy to brush the outside of your teeth well because that’s what people see, so you’re much more attentive to getting the outside clean. However, it is just as important to clean the insides just as good. Plaque and calculus build up even more on the inside of your teeth due to those areas being harder to brush properly. Because of this, I would recommend having two different brushes to brush your teeth with. For the outside and the tops of your teeth, a standard brush will suffice. For the insides of your teeth, since they’re harder to clean, I would recommend using a children’s toothbrush. These brushes are much smaller and can maneuver through tight spaces much easier. This will help you clean the insides of your teeth just as good as the outside.

All in all, it’s not the amount of time you spend cleaning your teeth that matters. Instead, it’s the quality of the cleaning that matters most. Like we previously discussed, length of time may indeed be an integral part to a quality clean, but it should not be the most important factor.