Do You Brush the Right Way?

My middle son watched a LOT of Barney the Purple Dinosaur when he was little. And I mean A LOT !!

And so because he loved the show, I ended up seeing, hearing, and repeating many of those goofy songs and routines the characters use to perform throughout the video. My son eventually wore those "Barney and Friends" tapes completely out, but not before I really learned to immensely dislike Barney the Purple Dinosaur.

THAT being said, in retrospect, the show had a lot of good things to offer. One of the songs  I recall was the "toothbrushing song". It's perfect for describing how to properly brush your teeth to adequately clean them without doing any damage over the years. Sing along with me:

"Brush your teeth"
"Round and Round"
"Circles Small"
"Gums and All"
"A small, soft toothbrush the round about way"
"Will keep your gums healthy, and stop tooth decay"
"So clean very carefully ev-ery day"
"Go Round and Round"!!

Nice!.....and accurate according to most dentists.

A small toothbrush to reach those tight, hard to reach areas, and you MUST use a soft or extra soft brush because stiffer versions can over time cut into your gums, and even your tooth structure. Some recession with age is normal, but don't make it worse by using a medium, or worse, a hard toothbrush.

And , please, don't "SAW" with your toothbrush. Round and round like the songs says, ok? We are not trying to saw down trees here. 

So,if you think about it, the song is great! I didn't think so when I had to hear it 4 times a day when my son was little. But, after 24 years of being a dentist, I have seen the damage to teeth, and the recession of gums that can sometimes be cause by bad brushing technique and hard toothbrush bristles three times a day for many years.

PS- Don't forget to brush your tongue.

-Dr Culver