How to Get a Great Smile

Posted on: 15 May 2017

Far too many people think that using plenty of elbow grease while brushing their teeth is the best way to rid their mouth of as much plaque and bacteria as possible. However, that plaque and bacteria can be brushed away without very much force at all, and bearing down too hard while you brush can actually do more harm than good.

Here are just four problems that can occur as a result of brushing too hard.

1. Gum Recession

One of the most serious issues associated with brushing too hard is the recession of the gums. As you might imagine, this involves the pulling away of the gums from your tooth, leaving more of the root structure exposed. People tend to dislike the appearance of receded gums, but there are actually more serious complications to worry about. The lower surfaces of your teeth are coated with cementum instead of enamel to help them adhere to the gums, but cementum is very poor at fighting decay. Additionally, gum recession can cause gum disease to spread more easily, possibly even to the bone underlying your teeth.

2. Loss of Tooth Enamel

Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the entire human body. That said, it can still be worn down over time. Remember, tooth enamel was not designed to cope with brushing. It can stand up fine against light brushing, but vigorous brushing can cause that to wear away. This is serious since, once lost, enamel can never grow back. As a result, your teeth will not be able to protect themselves as well against decay.

3. Excessive Sensitivity

Tooth sensitivity is one of those problems that doesn't sound too serious until you actually begin to suffer from it yourself. With stabbing pain experienced whenever you have something hot or cold in your mouth, it can really make eating and drinking a hazardous activity, and it's another issue that can be caused due to brushing too hard. This is related to the loss of protective surface enamel and the exposure of vulnerable root structures due to gum recession, but sensitivity can also occur simply because your gums will become irritated by vigorous brushing.

4. Poor Brushing

Finally, keep in mind that your toothbrush itself isn't designed to respond well to vigorous brushing, which tends to splay out its bristles and rub away their rounded edges. The splaying of toothbrush bristles means that your brush won't be able to clean your teeth as effectively, and the sharpening of the ends of each bristle is going to cause further irritation.