Can Changing The Way You Brush Your Teeth Rid You Of Chronic Disease?

When you brush your teeth, are you spitting red?

Probably.

About 90% of the population admits to it. 

Bleeding gums, as we know, is generally a sign that your gums are inflamed. And if there’s anything we know about inflammation, it’s that it’s bad news when any body part is inflamed. It’s a symptom of infection. It means something isn’t right.

If you’re like most of the population, your understanding of what goes on in your mouth is limited. Basically, you notice when something out of the ordinary happens. But… 

What if — in a country where nearly a hundred million people don’t have dental healthcare or can’t afford elective surgeries, exploratory appointments, or experimental treatments — poor oral health is normal?

What most people don’t know…

Is that poor oral hygiene is much more insidious than they think. 

And part of the problem?

The way that we’re brushing our teeth.

Hurting Yourself in the Name of Health

Brushing your teeth twice in a day is the recommended standard. But don’t pat yourself on the back once you’re finished — it’s entirely likely that you’ve done more harm than good.

There are a bunch of cardinal errors we’re making as a population that are negatively affecting the state of our mouths, and in fact, our entire bodies. (More on that later.)

Let’s cover some of the biggest mistakes we make brushing our teeth…

  1. Bristle Strength: You might think: “harder bristles, tougher on plaque.” But you would be wrong.

Dentists actually recommend soft bristles. The reason is that soft bristles can bend, and can therefore sneak underneath the gums and into corners where food particles would otherwise be lost. 

And since gums bleed when they’re inflamed… and a cause of inflammation can be food particles getting trapped in the gums…

It’s critical that your toothbrush can move the food, bacteria, and plaque away from your teeth and gums. 

  1. Brush Strength: Similarly, bearing down with Herculean force onto your teeth is actually a huge problem… 

You see, when you scrub like that, you’re removing protective enamel that your teeth need and increasing the likelihood that your teeth will decay, not to mention demineralize. 

Demineralization is what happens when plaque, or your toothbrush, erodes the enamel and loses minerals like calcium and phosphate. 

Brush softly. 

  1. Relying On Toothpaste Promises: This may come as a shock, but toothpaste actually has almost nothing to do with the health of your teeth. Despite making decisions based on tooth whiteness, enamel-building, cavity-preventing, or other such claims, toothpaste exists mainly to freshen breath.

There are certain toothpastes that can help reverse cavities and make your mouth healthier. More on that here. 

  1. Brushing in a Straight Line: The reason dentists harp on brushing in soft little circles across your teeth is that when you brush in a straight line…

You’re just shoving plaque and particles from one end of your teeth to the other, and often back under the gums.

Brushing in a circular motion helps to dislodge and disorganize the biofilm on your teeth, pushing undesirables away so that you can spit them out. Like sweeping dust out of the door instead of under the rug.

  1. Brushing Right After Meals: Those who are hyper-concerned with dental health tend to brush whenever they’ve eaten, imagining that they’re engaging in preventive, proactive maintenance. 

Actually… brushing right after meals means that all the food particles still fresh in your mouth have a higher chance of being tucked under the gum line and lost, free to wreak infectious havoc on the mouth, which has actually been linked to a number of chronic conditions.

Instead, wait 30-45 minutes after eating to brush your teeth. 

Now, all of those tips are certainly helpful, and it’s better to use the resources at your disposal correctly than to botch the job and make it worse by ignoring the advice.

But the truth is…

Even that advice is out of date.

The brightest minds in the medical and dental sphere have already determined that what we think we know about dental health is disastrously inadequate. And they want to do something about it.

They’ve come together with me to publish their findings in a landmark new series…

Including a revolutionary new way to brush your teeth that will finally sever the tie between chronic disease and gum inflammation.

And all you’ve got to do is watch it to find out.

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Dr. Pedram Shojai

NY Times Best Selling author and film maker. Taoist Abbot and Qigong master. Husband and dad. I’m here to help you find your way and be healthy and happy. I don’t want to be your guru…just someone who’ll help point the way. If you’re looking for a real person who’s done the work, I’m your guy. I can light the path and walk along it with you but can’t walk for you.