Dry brushing is brushing your teeth without using water or toothpaste. The reason for sporadically doing some doing dry brushing is to learn how to clean your teeth better!
Here are a few good reasons to try dry brushing.
- Some toothpastes contain oils like glycerin, which leaves a coating on the teeth and tongue. This makes the teeth feel smoother than they actually are.
- The tongue also gets coated in this oil and it affects the tactile sensitivity of the tongue, making all the tooth surfaces feels smoother and cleaner than it actually is. 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 is 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 actually is clean and fresh. Afterwards you can use a refreshing mouthwash if you really 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 horse hair 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 soften the bristles even more, giving a less effective brushing.
If you have questions or concerns about your oral hygiene, book an appointment with your hygienist!
