Dry brushing is an age-old concept that is encouraged because it helps to improve the health of your skin exponentially. But did you know that dry brushing is also an important part of improving your oral hygiene?
It is true. Dry brushing needs to be considered an important element of your hygiene routine because it is significantly more effective in removing plaque than the conventional way of brushing your teeth. In a survey done by the American Dental Association, around 67% of respondents reported having seen a reduction in plaque build-up.
In addition to this, the survey study also revealed that gum bleeding and advanced problems like gingivitis are also reduced by 50% when this brushing technique is used. This statistical data demonstrates that the benefits of dry brushing are widespread.
What is Dry Brushing?
In layman’s terms, “dry brushing” is brushing your teeth without using water or toothpaste. It may sound weird to think about brushing your teeth without toothpaste or water, but trust us, it does wonders for your dental health.
Let’s backpedal for a bit.
Did you know that “toothpaste” was first invented in the late 1800s?
So how did people brush their teeth before then? Or more importantly, did people even practice an oral care routine?
The answer is YES!
Dental hygiene, albeit a less favorable one, has always been practiced since the beginning of time. Humans fashioned toothbrushes from natural objects like twigs, aromatic wood, salt, bones, eggshells, and much more. This proves that dry brushing is an old concept and not a contemporary one.
As much as unappealing, the idea of cleaning your teeth using a dry toothbrush might sound to you, it is a superior way of reducing the risks of plaque, tooth decay, and gum inflammation.
Benefits of Dry Brushing:
Cleaning the small gaps between your teeth
Dry brushing is a more effective technique that is used to clean the crevices between your teeth. Using this brushing technique, you can easily prevent plaque build-up on the surface areas of your bottom teeth, which are usually prone to decay.
You can brush your teeth wherever you want
Another advantage of dry brushing is the versatility it provides in the average oral care routine. This means that dry brushing allows you to brush your teeth anywhere and at any time since it does not require actions like rinsing or spitting.
Brush for a longer period
While the recommended duration for wet brushing is two minutes, in the dry method, you can brush your teeth for a longer time. Thus, you can easily take 8-10 minutes to brush your teeth, for effective removal of plaque. Our dentists recommend you brush longer to prevent the likelihood of cavities and gum diseases emerging in your mouth.
Better reach
When you brush your teeth normally, toothpaste frequently foams up in your mouth. During this time, your view of your teeth is obstructed, and the toothbrush bristles cannot reach all corners of your mouth.
Is Dry brushing Necessary?
Here are a few good reasons to try dry brushing.
- Some toothpaste contains oils like glycerine, which leaves a coating on the teeth and tongue. This makes the teeth feel smoother than they are.
- The tongue also gets coated in this oil, and it affects the tactile sensitivity of the tongue, making all the tooth surfaces feel smoother and cleaner than they are. When dry brushing, your tongue can feel the furry, thick substance forming on the gum margins much better because it is not coated in a smear layer. This makes it easier for you to target the problem areas!
- The fresh minty taste of most toothpaste gives us a false sense of security that our mouths are clean and fresh, where they might not be. Try brushing without toothpaste and you will see that most people will automatically brush longer as the mouth does not feel or smell fresh until it is clean and fresh. Afterward, you can use a refreshing mouthwash if you feel that you need some artificial freshness as well!
- Most toothbrushes are all made from nylon, which does not need to be soaked with water like in the old days when bristles were made from horsehair and other hard bristles. This is why dry brushing is perfect! If you wet the toothbrush before using it, not only will you increase the splatter, but you will also soften the bristles, even more, resulting in less effective brushing.
How to Drybrush my Teeth?
You must implement dry brushing before you begin fluoride treatments. This is because, without dry brushing, the fluoride ions embedded within the toothpaste will not be able to break through the film caused by plaque.
Provided below is a detailed step-by-step procedure that instructs you on how to drybrush your teeth:
Step 1: Pick the right toothbrush
The selection of an appropriate toothbrush plays a major role in impacting the outcomes of dry brushing. Hence, to ensure that this technique is enabling you to actively remove plaque from your teeth, you will need to select a toothbrush that has soft bristles. A soft dry toothbrush can easily scrape away the hardened layers of plaque that surround and harm the health of your teeth.
Step 2: Brush at a right angle
Dry brushing is only effective when the brush is held at an exact angle over your teeth. In this case, you will need to hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle toward your gum line. Why gumline?
This is because the plaque that has accumulated near your gums and teeth can easily be targeted and cleaned efficiently.
Step 3: First, brush your teeth from the inside out.
Begin cleaning your teeth from the inside out. This implies that the inside surfaces of your lower and upper teeth must be cleansed first.
But why?
This is because, according to our dentists and dental hygienists, people commonly overlook these areas of the mouth. Due to this, most cavities and tooth decay are often witnessed in these areas.
Eventually, the dry brushing process is completed by brushing the outer surfaces of your teeth.
Step 4: Massage your gums and teeth
The act of dry brushing does not entail brushing alone. It is also a massage for the gum line and the teeth in your mouth. By massaging your teeth and gums, you can also limit the exposure of your oral health to more abrasive forms of dental care.
Wondering how to massage while dry brushing?
Move the brush in a calm and circular motion over your teeth and gums. Since the toothbrush bristles used here are soft, your teeth will be free from their abrasive counterpart, a hard scrubbing motion.
Step 5: Time the process
As mentioned, earlier in this article, the ideal time for dry brushing your teeth are 8–10 minutes. So, make sure to brush as slowly and thoroughly as possible. The key focus here is to ensure that you have brushed all your teeth. The minimum amount of time taken to brush your teeth are 5 minutes.
Apart from eliminating plaque from your teeth, the purpose of dry brushing also extends to smoothing and polishing your teeth.
Let us explain.
Dry brushing, because it is non-abrasive, ensures that the surface of your bottom and top teeth is smooth. It gives you an experience that is somewhat similar to professional dental cleaning.
Tips for Dry brushing:
- Try using an electric toothbrush, because dry brushing with an electric toothbrush is more effective than using a traditional toothbrush.
- Our dentists recommend using a toothbrush with soft bristles to avoid damaging your teeth and gums.
- Keep your angles in mind. Dry brushing is only effective if done at a 45-degree angle to your teeth.
- Remember to replace your toothbrush every three months. Brushes that have been stored for an extended period might harm your teeth.
- Dry brushing covers more than just your teeth and gums. Its utility can even be extended to tongue scrubbing.
- After brushing, thoroughly rinse the toothbrush with water and air-dry it to eradicate any bacteria that may have accumulated in your dental hygiene appliance.
Want to learn more about how to take care of your teeth?
Our dentist and dental hygienists are harbingers in detecting your potential oral health issues, and experts in advising you with effective preventative care.
Schedule an appointment with our specialists today and learn more about the numerous strategies for oral care.
