Miss Brushing Your Teeth a Few Times?
Forgetting to brush your teeth every once in a while is a fact of life. Maybe you fell asleep on the couch and didn’t wake up until morning. Or perhaps you struggle to brush your teeth regularly due to a health condition that makes hygiene tasks more challenging. Whatever is causing you to fall behind on brushing your teeth, it’s okay, and you can get your dental health back to a good place. How you go about doing that, though, is important, because what you think you should do might actually cause your teeth and gums more harm.
Brushing your teeth longer, not harder
Whether you’ve been behind on brushing your teeth for a few days, a week, or a couple of months, getting back to a regular schedule is always the best way forward. The one thing you don’t want to do? Make up for missed brushes by brushing your teeth too hard.The instinct to brush vigorously makes sense: You missed a few brushes, and your teeth are feeling fuzzier than usual, so you put in some elbow grease during your brush to make up for it. Brush your teeth for two minutes twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush. So, your make-up brushing sessions should be at least two minutes, but probably a minute or two longer to clear away the extra gunk. For people who can’t gauge the time on their own, a helpful no-cost option is to set a timer on your phone (or a good old-fashioned kitchen timer) while you brush. There are also electric toothbrushes that work on a two-minute timer, so you know exactly when to stop.
You deserve to feel comfortable and clean, and to avoid any dental problems later on in life. And if you still miss a few brushing sessions, you’ll know how to get back on track.