Do you know that using hard toothbrushes or brushing very hard wears off your teeth?
Hard toothbrushes are used for various reasons. Some use it because it is cheap and easily available while some others prefer it because they feel the harder their brush is, the better it cleans.
The hazard of using hard toothbrushes far outweigh the benefits. Their frequent use leads to the gradual wearing down of the gum and eventually the tooth which then results in tooth sensitivity.
Usually, the affected tooth looks longer than normal.
For brushing, Dentists recommend the use of medium textured toothbrush for adults and soft bristles for children. Hard toothbrushes are essentially for smokers who use them to prevent the unsightly stains of tobacco; if used regularly, it could lead to tooth wear.
The specific type of tooth wear hard toothbrushes cause is known as cervical abrasion. This occurs at the neck of the tooth as a result of excessive force applied during tooth brushing. When one rubs two hard surfaces together, there is friction. Friction between the teeth- a hard substance and the hard toothbrush leads to tooth wear. The effect of this is teeth sensitivity which is observed when in an air conditioned room or when taking acidic fruits or hot/cold drinks.
It is not how hard you brush that makes your mouth clean, rather, it is how well you brush. Dentists often recommend you to spend at least 2 mins while brushing. Many often fall short of the 2mins because they rush while brushing so they won’t be late for work or school.
Treating a damaged tooth depends on the severity.
- Stop the use of hard toothbrush. The use of a good quality medium texture toothbrush will do justice to the cleaning of your teeth.
- You could use a de-sensitizing tooth paste for mild to moderate cases of sensitivity.
- For moderate to severe cases, your dentist will need to cover them with restorations usually composite resin.
- A root canal may be required for very severe cases in order to save the tooth.
Visit your dentist regularly as most cases of toothwear due to the use of hard toothbrushes are discovered during routine dental checkup.