Mobile dentistry for seniors ensures that everyone gets proper dental care – even seniors who cannot visit a brick-and-mortar clinic. However, some dental care procedures can be taught to people so that they practice them on their own and keep their teeth healthy. For example, teeth flossing and brushing. You do not have to visit a dentist to have your teeth brushed. You can easily do it at home – aided or unaided. But still, people make a lot of mistakes that may be preventing them from getting the most from brushing their teeth. Here are some common mistakes to avoid when brushing your teeth.
Using the toothbrush for too long
The average life of toothbrushes is about three months – with consistent use. After about two hundred uses, you should switch your brush and acquire a new one because the bristles are bound to be frayed and worn out. Broken or frayed bristles will not clean your mouth properly. You should change your brush once the bristles start losing their flexibility. After using your toothbrush for a couple of months, food particles and bacteria start accumulating on the toothbrush. It is important to change your toothbrush after every three months.
Rinsing your mouth with water
Your mobile dental clinic will advise you not to rinse your mouth with water after brushing. This may appear shocking to some people but it is the truth. You can spit the toothpaste out of your mouth but when water enters the mix, it will cut down the efficiency of your toothpaste. You may be used to rinsing your mouth after brushing but it is best to use mouth rinse or mouthwash instead as it contains fluoride. Rinse and gargle then spit out the mouthwash. Do not use water. You should wait for about half an hour after brushing to consume a beverage or drink water.
Not brushing long enough
It is recommended to brush your teeth for about two minutes for every brushing session. The average time that a normal person brushes their teeth is about forty-five seconds. Brushing your teeth shorter than two minutes does not give the fluoride in the toothpaste time to attach to your teeth’s enamel.
People are missing out on clean teeth by brushing their teeth for a very short time. Parts of the mouth get neglected when you do this. This is why some people have white teeth in the front but stained teeth at the back of their mouth. It is recommended to use electronic toothbrushes that come with timers to help you brush your teeth for long enough. If you do not have a timer then you should use a stopwatch.
Storing toothbrushes in the bathroom
Most people are guilty of making this mistake but mobile dentistry for seniors service providers will advise you otherwise. Most toothbrushes in people’s homes have bits of feces on them. When you flush the toilet, the contents of the bowl are sprayed in different directions. This means if you store your toothbrush in your bathroom then it will have some feces on it.
