5 ways to more effective teeth cleaning

Can you make and eat your breakfast in less than two minutes in the morning? What about doing your hair and make-up?
If you can, I’m impressed. If you can’t, don’t worry neither can I. But the point is that if you can find time to spend more than two minutes doing anything in the morning, then you can definitely spare two minutes to brush your teeth properly.
And while you’re at it you might as well make sure you’ve got your brushing technique right too. Yep, it’s not just the amount of time you spend on your teeth that you could be doing wrong, there’s a whole list of things…
Why you need to brush for two minutes
Ok, so since I’ve already talked up the importance of brushing your teeth for two minutes we’ll start with that. To effectively remove plaque and build up from each tooth you need to brush for a minimum of two minutes, otherwise you’re not cleaning every single tooth properly. If you already believe you’re doing this, set a timer the next time you brush your teeth, you may be surprised.
Don’t brush straight after meals
Despite what you may think, brushing straight after a meal is not good for your teeth. According to Sydney dentist Dr Chitra Das, if you eat or drink something acidic and then brush straight afterwards you can potentially remove enamel. “You’re better off waiting 30 minutes after meals before you brush,” he advises. bh recommends brushing with Macleans Advanced Toothpaste to help strengthen and protect your tooth enamel.
Change your toothbrush every three months
“Our toothbrush cleans our teeth, but what cleans our toothbrush?” asks Dr Das. (And no, water doesn’t count.) When you’re brushing your teeth every morning and night your toothbrush is bound to accumulate germs, not to mention bent bristles, so you really need to change your brush at least every three months to ensure you’re getting the most effective clean. A survey conducted by Waterpik* revealed that one in two Australians change their toothbrush no more than twice a year, so if you fall into that ‘forgetful’ category Dr Das recommends you set a reminder on your phone every three months to remind yourself to repurchase.
Start in a different spot each time
You may not realise it but each time you brush your teeth there’s a big chance you’re starting in the same place. By doing this you’re potentially neglecting parts of your mouth, as you become less thorough the longer you brush. Make a point to start in a different spot every time so you’re giving your mouth equal attention.
Don’t rinse after you spit
If you already can’t stand the taste of orange juice straight after you’ve brushed your teeth then you’ll definitely want to steer clear of it if you adhere to this last tip. Once you’ve finished brushing and spitting out any remaining toothpaste, DON’T rinse your mouth out with water. Rinsing washes away the protective fluoride coating left by the toothpaste, which would otherwise give your teeth extended protection. If you really can’t stand the thought of not rinsing, use a mouthwash such as Colgate Plax Fresh Tea Mouthwash instead of water.
*2013 Waterpik survey of more than 1,300 Australians.
Do you spend enough time on your teeth? How do you make sure they’re getting a proper clean?
100 Member Comments
Also, I use now bamboo toothbrush, which does not get germ buildup as plastic does. It is way better in cleaning than any I had in past. Also important to clean the tongue with tongue scraper
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I always rinse well, and since I can not use flouride toothpastes, it actually does not matter
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I find an electric tooth brush is better as manual brushing after 2 minutes starts to hurt my wrist so I find it a lot easier to complete the 2 minutes.
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Great tips! I have never noticed until just now but I usually do start in the same place everytime! and I will give rinsing my mouth with mouthwash instead. Thankfully, I have really good teeth. I love em
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Great tips
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I always rinse my mouth with water...might have to be converted now
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I think I spend just 2 minutes in the morning and longer at night as I have more time to properly brush, floss and use a mouth wash.
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I did not know that ... might have to change my habits now
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wow I didn't know to not rinse.
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Oh dear me, after years and years of rinsing and to find out that this is wrong - what have i been doing!
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I brush for 2 minutes... but I don't think I can do the no rinse thing....
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All of these ideas are excellent, especially the idea of mouthwash instead of rinsing with water. I will definitely be trying all the tips.
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I was surprised about not brushing straight after eating.
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My electric toothbrush has a 2 minute timer which is so handy.
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I have an electric tooth brush, and boy does it do a better job at cleaning than a manual brush........highly recommend!!
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Awesome tips. I should really concentrate on my brushing. I wear out my toothbrush in a week :(
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Oh I always rinse after I spit, i'll try not too. Some good tips here!
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not rinsing is a good idea. ive often wondered if it was better to not rinse.
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Ugh, I can't imagine why people can't just care for their teeth properly. I also don't like how there is no mention of floss in this article, at all... The amount of people who are just completely negligent about flossing absolutely astounds me!
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