5. Enhance your brushing technique
Don’t scrub your teeth too hard! “If we’re brushing aggressively and using something other than a soft or ultra-soft toothbrush, it can wear away at the gum tissue around the teeth,” says Dr. Messina. Even if your teeth don’t have any nerve endings, the portions which are below the gum do. Beating back your gums means those areas are exposed.
Instead, you want more of a massage. Brush in tiny circles instead of back-and-forth so you get under the gum line, advises Dr. Burnett. “This actually helps get two to three millimeters ‘under’ the gum tissue to break up the biofilm or bacteria,” she adds.
Even the best brushing techniques won’t clear away everything, so you better floss the areas between the teeth and below the gum line. “You’re mechanically removing food and plaque,” Dr. Messina adds. “That keeps the gums healthy and healthy gums don’t recede.”
