Dental hygienist says we've been using electric toothbrushes all wrong
Brushing teeth - it's the thing we do when we first get up in the morning and it's usually one of the last things we do before bed - but it turns out we still haven't quite got the hang of it yet.
A dental hygienist has explained exactly what we're doing wrong when it comes to brushing our teeth with an electric toothbrush. Check it out:
Just because you've splashed the cash on a high-tech piece of kit to brush your teeth, doesn't necessarily mean you're doing it correctly.
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Krysta, a registered dental hygienist self-described as being 'obsessed with teeth', has mapped out what you're doing wrong and how best to look after those pearly whites.
The health professional took to TikTok to share with her thousands of followers the dos and don'ts of teeth brushing.
She warned: "So many people use their electric toothbrush like it is a manual toothbrush and they can do more harm than good."
Explaining how people should actually go about the task, Krysta explained: "First things first, you want to angle [the brush] at a 45 degree angle toward your gums."
The hygienist then offered viewers a demonstration of the angle.
Krysta continued to explain that her go-to way of brushing her teeth was to divide her mouth into smaller sections so that each area could be thoroughly cleaned.
"What you're gonna do is split your mouth up into four," she added, with an upper-right, upper-left and so on.
Then, the pro broke down her specific routine and step process.
"I start on my back molar," before advising viewers to 'drag' their toothbrush along each tooth.
She said: "You're going to move it from tooth to tooth then you're going to go to the inside."
Surprisingly, the dental hygienist revealed that 'most people' do not focus on the insides of their teeth.
"Do this more than the outsides, trust me, your hygienist will thank you," she added.
Krysta then showed the same 45 degree angle for her front teeth before telling viewers to make sure they also focus on their 'chewing surfaces'.
Summarising the lesson, she stated: "So, it's the outside, the inside, and the chewing surfaces on each quadrant."
Krysta also advised that the whole routine should take two minutes - or '30 seconds per area'.
"You do that," she promised, "your teeth will be so much cleaner."
Offering some final words of wisdom, the dental hygienist shouted: "Please do not scrub with your [electric] toothbrush - you are not cleaning grout."
Then, to many people's shock, Krysta advised against rinsing after brushing.
She explained that people who do rinse with water after brushing their teeth with toothpaste lose 'all of the benefits' of toothpaste by rinsing.
"Spit out, don't rinse. Trust me, it'll work."
Who'd have thought it?!
The TikTok has been viewed over 2.1 million times, with many thanking the dental hygienist for her helpful tips.
One person commented: "I’m so glad you did this video. Nearly everyone I’ve seen use an electric toothbrush uses it wrong!"
"They should teach kids in school how to properly brush," a second admitted, "I did it wrong this whole time! I always rinsed with water!"
A fellow tooth-whisperer added: "Love this! As a dental student it makes my skin crawl when I see people scrub with an electric brush."
Rhiannon Ingle