The Right Way to Brush

The trick is...

Place the brush at a 45° angle, half on the gums and half on the teeth and clean with small circular movements, without pressure. That's all it takes. Pressure combined with a hard or medium-hard toothbrush often injures the gums and teeth.

Proper cleaning with a toothbrush

The lower teeth
  1. Placement: start with the outer side of the lower teeth. Place the toothbrush softly half on the gums and half on the back teeth at a 45° angle.

2. Outer side: now move the toothbrush in a circular motion from the molar towards the two front teeth and then move (always with small circular movements) towards the molar on the other side of the jaw. Spend some time on each tooth, about 5 to 10 circular movements. When you are done with the outer side, continue on the inner side of the lower jaw. (see 3)

3. Inner side: brush around and around all the teeth with small, pressure-free, circular movements, starting from one end molar and slowly reaching the opposite molar. (see 1)



Special case: behind the lower molar

4. Brush around each molar with small gentle circular movements. It helps to keep the toothbrush as vertical as possible.



Special case: through the lower front teeth

5. Placement: Hold the toothbrush as vertically as possible on the front bottom teeth (sectors) so that it covers a portion of the gum and a portion of the inside of the teeth. At this angle, move the toothbrush gently tooth by tooth. This area is very narrow so it is cleaned in this way. However, it requires good cleaning because the salivary gland is located underneath it. - so a lot of saliva is collected through the sectors and that's why most of the plaque develops.



The upper teeth

6. From the outside: and here you start with the rearmost molar. Place the toothbrush at an angle and brush as described above (see 1,2,3). Hold the brush at a 45° angle so that it covers part of the teeth and part of the gums and make small circular movements from one end of the jaw to the other. Go to the back of the molar on the opposite side and then continue to the inner side of the upper jaw. Always use small circular movements, without any pressure, until you reach the molar where you started.



Special case: behind the upper molars

7. Brush behind the upper molars with gentle circular movements. It helps to keep the toothbrush as vertical as possible.



Special case: through the upper front teeth

8. Circular movements at an angle: brush the inner side of the upper sections as you did with the lower sections (see 4,5). Hold the toothbrush at an angle to cover part of the teeth and part of the gums. Follow small circular movements, focusing on each tooth individually.



Chewing surfaces

9. Children in particular should clean the chewing surfaces of the teeth carefully. Start from the back and proceed slowly with small back and forth movements. As the child gets older there is a possibility that the need for persistence on the chewing surfaces may decrease. However, only the doctor can assess this responsibly and always on an individual basis.