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Can you over brush your teeth?

My mom and I were out to dinner and she noticed that my teeth were whiter than usual. And, the other day I went to the dentist and they told me that if I didn’t start brushing my teeth better, I’m going to have to have a root canal. And needless to say that scared the bee Jesus out of me. And so ever since than I’ve been brushing my teeth like after ever meal and even after I eat something small like an apple.

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Answer #1

It’s not about how long or often you brush, it’s about how thorough you are. Maybe you could talk to your dentist about how to brush your teeth properly. Make sure you go around every tooth and always floss!! Chewing sugar-free gum is also good for your teeth.

You can’t really over-brush your teeth, but you can over-brush your gums and cut them unintentionally with the tooth brush. You don’t have to scrape your teeth, it’s the technique of how you brush.

- You could also try mouth wash that kills bacteria.

Answer #2

Thank you for the information Renee :)

Answer #3

Yes it can. I read that over brushing can cause teeth sensitivity and enamel damage. I can’t find the original article but found this one instead: [link removed]

Answer #4

Ha ha! It says [link removed] but, if everyone says you can over brush, I believe y’all. Thank you so much for answering/responding. I’ve been wondering that since last Monday. LOL! (that’s when I had my dentist appointment)

Answer #5

You CAN over brush your teeth. You can do it by pressing too hard on your tooth brush (if the bristles are all splayed out, then you’re brushing too hard) while you’re brushing. You can do it by using a medium or hard bristle on your brush. The term is actually “mechanical abrasion”. We encountered it all the time at the office I worked in.

Always use a soft bristled toothbrush, and brush gently. Like Renee said it’s not how long (or how hard) you brush, it’s how thorough you are.

Answer #6

Yes you can overbrush and damage your gums and the enamel on your teeth.

Here is a howto on good dental hygiene. The most important thing is to floss and brush your teeth at least two times a day using the right technique. http://www.funadvice.com/howto/clean_teeth_properly