Smile is considered to be the most profound facial expression across the cultures. It boasts of a degree of universality that transcends across place and time.

Naturally, most of us leave no stones unturned for the upkeep of this attractive trait.

In order to keep your teeth in top order, however, regular visits to the dentist is essential. But that is not enough.

You need to also adhere to a strict oral hygiene routine for maintaining your pearly whites and healthy gums and it starts at home. But while doing that most of us commit mistakes that we don’t even realise.

So here an attempt is being made to make you aware of all those pitfalls that you need to save yourself from tripping over. By avoiding these, you can get the desirable results that you expect.

Take a look.

• Mistake 1 – Not Choosing the Right Toothbrush
  At the time of picking the toothbrush you should consider the size of the mouth. If you have to strain to let the toothbrush inside the mouth, then your toothbrush is probably too big for you. The handle of your brush must be comfortable. When you hold the toothbrush, it must feel comfy. You should also make sure that the toothbrush head is small so that it reaches the last of the teeth. The comfier it is in the mouth and the easier it is to hold, the more likely it is that you will use it in the right way to get the results that you want.
• Mistake 2 – Using the Same Toothbrush for a Prolonged Period
  With the consistent usage, (twice everyday for seven days) the lifespan of the toothbrush is no more than 3 months. After about 22 usages, you must switch the brush as the bristles are bound to be frayed and worn out. Your mouth can’t be cleaned by the broken or frayed bristles. As you lose the flexibility of the toothbrush you should change the toothbrush. After a couple of months of daily usage, the food particles start accumulating on the toothbrush. So ensure that you are changing your toothbrush every 3 months.
• Mistake 3 –Brushing Your Teeth Too Hard
  Remember that by brushing the teeth, it is not always better. One of the biggest problems that people create is the fact that they scrub the teeth too hard. Many are of the opinion that unless they scrub the teeth too hard like cleaning the grout from the bathroom tile, they are not doing the right job. But understand that the plaque is loose and soft and so scrubbing is something that is unnecessary and uncalled for. The right thing to do is, in fact, to massage instead of scrub. Do that and you will be able to maintain a great oral health for a long time to come.
• Mistake 4 –Storing the Brush in the Bathroom
  We all have made this mistake once or twice in our lives. In fact, it has been seen through studies that most toothbrushes have bits of human faeces on them. This is because you store them in the bathroom. At the time of flushing the toilet, the contents of the toilet bowl are spread in every direction. This is all he more apt if you have kids in the house. Using toothbrush lids can arrest the issue to some extent. But the best way out is to store the brush someplace else other than the bathroom like inside the medicine cabinet or inside the nightstand.
• Mistake 5 – Not Brushing the Teeth for the Longest Time
  You must brush your teeth at least twice a day. If there is too much time-gap between the brushings, the bacterial plaque builds up that boosts the risk of gum inflammation and other issues. The brushing should continue for at least a couple of minutes and three minutes happens to be even better. You can also calculate the time by dividing the mouth in quadrants and dedicating 30 seconds to every quadrant. Many electric toothbrushes also come with timers that are built-in to help you with this.

Now that you know about the common mistakes committed during brushing, avoid these and help retain an enigmatic smile with healthy gums for years to come.