Spent 5 years brushing my teeth too hard after the dentist finally called me out

I always thought brushing harder meant cleaner teeth, like scrubbing a dirty pan. My dentist in Milwaukee told me last Tuesday that my gums were receding from all the pressure. He showed me on a model how the bristles should just glide, not dig into the enamel. Turns out I was using a medium-bristle toothbrush for years when I should have been using soft. The tip off was when he pointed out little grooves near my gum line. I felt pretty dumb but at least I caught it before I needed a filling. Has anyone else gotten called out for something basic like toothpaste technique or flossing wrong?

3 comments

3 Comments

jessica9214d ago

Did you also feel that moment of pure embarrassment when you realized you'd been doing something wrong for half your life without knowing it? I swear my hygienist could tell I used to brush like I was scrubbing a grill grate from the way she sighed at my teeth.

daniel_cooper344d agoTop Commenter

Ha! @jessica921 I felt that way about flossing (or lack thereof) for way too long.

davis.olivia4d ago

Did your dentist ever give you that LOOK like you just insulted their whole family tree? Because mine definitely did when I casually mentioned I thought flossing was just a conspiracy by Big Dental to sell more minty string. I used to brush so aggressively I was basically giving my gums a bootcamp workout. The hygienist would tap my hand and sigh, and I'd be like "what, am I being too gentle?" Turns out I was wearing down my enamel like sandpaper on wood. Now I brush like I'm petting a scared cat and floss like I'm defusing a bomb.