Can you brush your teeth too much?

Brushing regularly is vital to maintaining good oral health and a beautiful smile. However, can you have too much of a good thing?

Brushing your teeth to much or too hard, often called over brushing can have some detrimental effects on your oral health and can lead to toothbrush abrasion.

The first problem over brushing can lead too is receding gums. This can expose the more sensive root are of the teeth, causing uncomfortable tooth sensitivity. Receding gums can also lead to other dental problems such as periodontal disease and cavities on the roots of the teeth and may lead to the need for treatments such as fillings, root canals and tooth extraction

The second major issue over brushing can cause is worn down tooth enamel. Enamel is the protective shell around your teeth, and wear it down can lead to a greater chance of tooth damage as well as increased tooth sensitivity.

Brushing hard is not necessary to remove plaque, as plaque is actually fairly soft and even soft bristled toothbrushes can easily remove it. The key is thorough brushing of all tooth surfaces, not brushing hard.

If you think you may be over brushing, work on changing your brushing habits and even changing your toothbrush bristle hardness. Move the toothbrush with short strokes and a scrubbing motion, several times in each spot – don’t saw back and forth across the teeth with your toothbrush. Apply just enough pressure to feel the bristles against the gums. If you are squashing the bristles, you’re brushing too hard.

If you have any questions about good brushing habits, or you think you have some damage from over brushing, call us at Wurzbach Parkway Family Dental today at (210) 879-3449.