Finally someone explained to me how to brush — Tip #8

I spent decades on this planet brushing in the wrong way 🤡

I always considered myself a black belt when it comes to brushing my teeth. Not only did I brush twice a day, but I also made sure to spend enough time on each side of my mouth. On top of that, I regularly cleaned my upper palate and tongue with a tongue cleaner (a weird little tool that looks something like this).

Recently, I visited the best dentist in Thailand (yes, the entire country!) a privilege I could afford. She’s the head of the dental department, an adorable lady about to retire with decades of experience. She found some minor gum inflammation but otherwise gave me a perfect score. It’s always been like this for me, thanks to good genetics.

As I was about to proudly leave her clinic, she told me “Before you go, I can see that you are not brushing properly let me show you”. She took a plastic model of a mouth and a toothbrush, then gave me a demo on how I should actually brush. The scene was hilarious: it felt like going back to school, with this sweet aunty explaining something I should have learned from my parents as a kid.

It turns out, for three decades, I have been brushing the wrong way ☠️.

The main goal when brushing is to remove food residues from your mouth so they don’t decay and become a feast for germs. Secondly, brushing helps kill germs and wash them away.

If you are like me (and, to be fair, like most people) you hold your toothbrush horizontally, brushing left and right across your teeth, then the tops. But this misses the most important spot where food deposits accumulate: the intersection between your teeth and gums. The best way to clean this area is to hold your toothbrush at a 45° angle and gently brush in a circular motion. For the outer surfaces, brush horizontally; for the inner surfaces, brush vertically but still with the brush angled.

Placing your toothbrush at 45° allows it to reach under the gum line where food deposits hide.

It’s hard to explain the motions in writing, so here’s a quick 15s video tutorial. Don’t worry, this doesn’t count as brain rot!

I’ve been following this technique for two months now, and I can honestly say my oral health has improved dramatically. My mouth feels cleaner overall, and I feel less risk of enamel erosion. Dentists do study this technique, if you are curious to learn more look for modified bass method 🎸.

Your weekly tip: Incline your toothbrush at 45°, softly and gently move in circulation motions as you brush. Don’t brush directly on your teeth! If you’re unsure, ask your dentist to give you a demo 🧑‍🏫

Don’t forget to forward this tip to a friend who, like me, thought they were a black belt at brushing 🫰

See you next week, until then…

Don’t Panic 😱