It’s time to brush up on your oral hygiene.
For decades, Americans have been scrubbing their smiles with the wrong tools and techniques thanks to a deeply ingrained myth.
This rough-around-the-edges approach is doing more harm than good, according to Chicago-based dentist Dr. Joy Poskozim.
The idea that harder bristles work better to clean your teeth has persisted for ages, but it’s not actually true.
Hard-bristled brushes can actually wear down enamel over time — a condition called toothbrush abrasion — causing teeth to appear browner, thinner and more brittle, especially around the gumline.
Even worse, overly aggressive brushing can irritate the gums to the point that they begin to pull back from the teeth, which is where the phrase “long in the tooth” comes from, according to Poskozim.
“Starting in the 1950s, softer nylon toothbrush bristles were being created by toothbrush makers like Colgate,” she told The Post. “[But] there are some people to this day that prefer a medium-hardness toothbrush to the soft-bristled brushes.”
If you really want bristles that feel a bit firmer, Poskozim recommends an electric toothbrush like the one by Sonicare.
“The bristles are soft and the toothbrush is timed for two minutes — so they are brushing longer and, even though the bristles are soft, it feels like a ‘harder’ brush,” she said.
Poskozim noted that the average American only brushes for 37 seconds, which is well below the professional recommendation of a full two minutes.
The dentist, who works extensively with older adults, says many patients grew up with dangerous dental beliefs and habits that still linger.
Those include:
- Thinking harder toothbrushes are better
- Not knowing anything about flossing
- Never seeing the dentist on a regular basis unless in pain
- Not having to see a dentist when having baby teeth
- Having all teeth removed preventatively to prevent toothaches
- Getting full dentures when you’re only 16, “sometimes still done in the deep South”
Bristle firmness isn’t the only thing that’s changed since the ’50s. In fact, there have been shifts in dental care since even the late ’90s.
“When I graduated from NYU College of Dentistry in 1999, the only thing we knew about the fluoride ion was that it bonded with the surface calcium, helping to prevent bacteria from penetrating into the teeth,” Poskozim said.
That’s because tooth enamel is porous — which is why we feel sensitivity and get stains. But modern science shows fluoride is doing more than just shielding the surface.
“Now we know that fluoride also prevents micronutrients from leaving out teeth, so fluoride keeps teeth ‘mineralized,’” she added.
Some other old-school myths, according to Poskozim, include that brushing once a day is enough and that it’s best to brush before breakfast.
“The whole purpose of brushing teeth is to disrupt the oral bacteria from creating cavities from the foods we eat and plaque depositing,” she said. “Therefore, it is better to brush after meals, not allowing excess food particles to fester in and around our teeth.”
