How Do You Brush Your Teeth Properly?

Brush twice a day for two minutes using a soft, small-headed brush and a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. Angle the bristles about 45 degrees towards the gumline and use gentle circular strokes, covering the outer, inner and chewing surface of every tooth. Don’t rinse afterwards, and clean between your teeth daily.

How Do You Brush Your Teeth Step by Step?

The video below walks through the full two-minute routine, one quadrant at a time.

How Long Should You Brush Your Teeth?

Brush for a full two minutes, twice a day. Split that into four 30-second blocks — upper left, upper right, lower left, lower right — so no part of your mouth gets rushed. Two minutes feels much longer than most people expect, which is why almost everyone stops early without realising it.

If you find yourself guessing, use a timer, an electric brush with a built-in one, or a song you know the length of. The second brush of the day matters most at night: saliva flow drops while you sleep, so anything left on your teeth at bedtime sits there for hours with nothing washing it away.

What Angle Should You Hold Your Toothbrush At?

Hold the bristles at about 45 degrees to the gumline, angled towards the gum rather than flat against the tooth. Plaque collects right where the tooth meets the gum, and a brush held square to the tooth face slides straight past that junction.

Use small circular movements and light pressure — the bristles should fan slightly, not splay flat. Scrubbing hard across the teeth wears away enamel at the gumline over time and can push the gums back, so pressure is the thing to ease off on, not the time spent. With an electric brush, guide it tooth by tooth and let it do the work instead of moving it back and forth yourself.

Should You Rinse After Brushing Your Teeth?

No. Spit out the excess toothpaste and stop there — don’t rinse with water. Rinsing washes away the concentrated fluoride your toothpaste just left on your teeth, and that fluoride keeps strengthening enamel for a while after you finish brushing. Leaving it in place is free protection you’ve already paid for.

The same goes for mouthwash straight after brushing: most rinses contain far less fluoride than toothpaste, so using one immediately afterwards dilutes the stronger product. If you like mouthwash, use it at a different time of day, such as after lunch.

What Are the Top Tooth Brushing Tips?

Protect your teeth with these pro tips for better brushing.

1. Use a small, soft toothbrush. Harder ones can damage your teeth and gums.
2. Use just one pea-sized blob of fluoride toothpaste.
3. Brush gently in circles. Or if you have an electric toothbrush, just hold still at each tooth for three seconds.
4. Count all six segments as you go. Upper: inside, outside and chewing surfaces. Lower: inside, outside and chewing surfaces.
5. Don’t miss your inside front teeth. Brush up and down to reach these properly.
6. Finish by gently brushing your tongue to remove bacteria from your mouth.
7. Brush twice each day and floss at least once.

For the little ones, see these tooth brushing tips for babies and toddlers.

Herald Avenue Dental Centre in Willetton

Visit your dentist regularly to prevent problems and keep on smiling! If it’s time for a dental checkup or you are suffering tooth pain, please contact us or alternatively book online to make an appointment.