How to Reduce Damage to your Gums Caused by Tooth Brushing

The Length of the Brush Stroke
The length of the stroke is in my opinion the key determinant of how much the gum will wear back. The people that I’ve seen the most dramatic or rapid wear of the gums appear to have a stroke that is approximately 2 to 4 cm. This translates into a fair amount of dragging and scratching of the bristle tips on the gum. I recommend a 1 cm length of stroke which produces a shorter and arguably less abrasive 2 to 3 mm of bristle tip movement on the gum – just enough to remove the plaque and no more.Using a Ridiculously Hard Brush
The other factor that affects gum wear is using a ridiculously hard brush. Most dentists recommend a soft brush for this reason. A hard brush is like a bed of nails as far as the gum is concerned. And when you use it with a long stroke and plenty of pressure you can kiss goodbye to several millimetres of gum. There is not a lot of science to prove that a medium bristle with a short-stroke causes any problem but most dentists err on the safe side and recommend soft only. Some people feel that that does not clean their teeth properly so if you insist on using a medium make sure you use a short vibrating type of stroke … Look in the mirror and confirm it is not much more than 1 cm …rather than a long steam train style four centimetre. How hard you should push on the brush will be the subject of another hint, but as a teaser, I will mention a brief anecdote. When I commenced practice I saw a dental history form from the American Dental Association. It had some good questions – two of them were:- Do you brush your teeth vigorously or lightly?
- Do your gums lead when you brush?