The best way to prevent gingivitis and avoid tooth decay is to remove the dental plaque that accumulates on our teeth. The best way to do this is by brushing our teeth. Plaque contains bacteria that can cause gingival irritation that results in red enlarged gums that bleed easily. Gingivitis can be reversed by improving oral home care which includes brushing and flossing more effectively.
Not everyone will needs an electric toothbrush but they can be helpful for individuals that struggle with manual dexterity, like children who are developing their fine motor skills. The greatest benefit of an electric toothbrush is that it does the hard work of rotating and oscillating to clean your teeth. This means that unlike a standard toothbrush you do not need to “scrub” your teeth, instead you gently hold the tooth brush at a slight angle pointing at the gum line, then rotate the tooth brush around the curves of each tooth making sure to angle around the corners to clean all sides. A great goal should be to spend 30 seconds brushing the each quadrant of the mouth, ie. upper right, upper left, lower right, lower left.
Some electric toothbrushes will have built-in timers to tell you when you have brushed for 2 minutes but you can also use a kitchen or phone timer to keep you on track. Other electric toothbrushes may also tell you if you are brushing too hard. Electric toothbrushes spin very fast and pushing hard can make the spinning less effective or hurt the gum tissue.
Whether using an electric or standard toothbrush, children under eight need help brushing their teeth as they are still developing the skills to do an adequate job. Parents should help their children brush and/or check their teeth for cleanliness after each brushing session.
Gingivitis and cavities can be prevented by using an electric or manual toothbrush — don’t get wrapped up in the bells and whistles of an electric toothbrush. They are great, but the most important thing is getting your teeth clean, no matter what type of toothbrush is used!
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