A bright smile: good oral hygiene habits

How long and how often should you brush your teeth?

The best-known rule is still the right one: at least twice a day, for two minutes. The evening brush matters most, because your mouth produces less saliva overnight.

Two minutes is longer than you think. To keep going without getting bored:

• split your mouth into four zones and spend thirty seconds on each;
• use a timer, or the length of a short song;
• for children, an hourglass timer in the bathroom makes it more fun.

If you can, brush after lunch too. At work, a small pouch with a toothbrush and toothgel makes it easy.

For children, an adult helps and checks their brushing until they can do it properly on their own. Leading by example, brushing your teeth at the same time, is still the best approach.

How to brush your teeth properly: the right technique

Technique matters more than force. Brushing too hard is not more effective; quite the opposite.

1. Tilt the brush slightly towards the line where tooth meets gum.
2. Brush from pink to white, with small gentle movements, tooth by tooth.
3. Cover every surface: outside, inside and the tops of the molars.
4. Press lightly: if your bristles flatten quickly, you are pressing too hard.
5. Finish with your tongue, gently, from back to front.

A tip: start in a different zone each time. We tend to rush the last zone, so it pays to vary. In front of the mirror, take your time: brushing is a moment for yourself, not a race.

Choosing your toothbrush and toothgel

The brush

• Choose soft bristles, kinder to enamel and gums.
• A small head reaches behind the back molars more easily.
• Replace your brush every three months, or as soon as the bristles splay.
• Manual or electric: both work well with good technique.
• After use, rinse it and leave it to dry head up, in the open air rather than in a closed case. One brush per person, no exceptions.

The toothgel

I use Forever Bright, a toothgel with 32.8% aloe vera gel, bee propolis and a light chlorophyll flavour. It is non-abrasive and its natural mint flavour leaves a pleasant fresh feeling. A pea-sized amount is enough.

It is also fluoride-free. Dentists often recommend fluoride, especially for children, so ask your dentist what suits each member of the family best.

Floss, interdental brushes and tongue: the forgotten areas

Even excellent brushing does not reach every corner. The spaces between your teeth make up a good part of the surface to clean.

• Dental floss: once a day, ideally in the evening. Slide it gently between two teeth, curving it into a “C” around each one.
• Interdental brushes: handy if your gaps are a little wider. Your dentist can tell you the right size.
• Your tongue: it holds on to a lot of residue. A quick pass with your brush or a tongue scraper every evening helps keep breath fresh.

At first, flossing can feel like a chore: keep the floss next to your toothbrush so you do not forget it. With practice, it only takes a minute or two.

If your mouth bleeds when you brush or sensitivity persists, do not wait: book an appointment with your dentist.

Fresh breath all day long

Breath depends a lot on hydration and on what we eat. A few simple habits:

• Drink water regularly: a dry mouth makes breath less fresh.
• Cut down on sugary snacking between meals, and on fizzy drinks.
• Rinse your mouth with water after a coffee or a meal if you cannot brush.
• Crunch an apple or raw vegetables at the end of a meal.
• Chew sugar-free gum after eating out: it gets saliva flowing and freshens your mouth.
• Wait around thirty minutes before brushing after something very acidic (citrus fruit, vinaigrette, fruit juice).

And of course, seeing your dentist at least once a year, with a scale and polish if needed, is essential. Your dentist is the only one who can check what is really going on in your mouth.

Zero waste in the bathroom

We often throw away a tube of toothpaste when there are still several days' worth left inside. A small anti-waste habit:

• roll the tube up from the bottom rather than squeezing it in the middle;
• use a tube squeezer: slide the tube in and push it along to the end;
• use just enough: a pea-sized amount of gel for an adult, a smaller smear for a child.

The tube squeezer fits any tube up to 5.5 cm wide: toothgel, hand creams, face care. It saves money and it is a simple step for the planet. And when your toothbrush has had its day, it can still clean tile grout or awkward little corners.

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