Can brushing your teeth break them? This is no joke!

As the ancients said, when two soldiers meet, the bravest one wins. It is obvious which is stronger between toothbrush bristles and teeth. Under normal circumstances, the natural result of the friction between the two over time is that the toothbrush bristles are deformed, and although the surface of the teeth is also worn, it is almost negligible. So, if someone says that brushing can break teeth, you will definitely say: Impossible!

However, the world is so big that there are many strange things. In real life, there are some people who brush their teeth and break them!

01 What does a tooth that is broken by brushing look like?

A tooth that is broken by brushing usually has a "V"-shaped defect (professionally called a wedge-shaped defect ) on the labial surface (the side close to the lips) or buccal surface (the side close to the cheek) of the tooth at the position corresponding to the neck of the tooth. This defect can be deep, shallow, wide or narrow, but the overall impression is that a part of the tooth has been chopped off by an axe. In severe cases, the crown and root of the tooth may even be mostly separated, and the crown may seem to be crumbling. People with this kind of dental problem often have more than one damaged tooth, ranging from a few to more than a dozen. Sometimes the condition is so serious that it is shocking.

Source: Professional textbooks

02 Why do you break your teeth by brushing?

1. Incorrect brushing method

Brushing with a hard-bristled toothbrush in a sawing motion can indeed break teeth. Brushing with hard bristles, brushing too hard, and brushing with a sawing motion are three factors that can cause teeth to break. Improper brushing may not cause any harm for a day or two, but over time it may cause serious consequences such as broken teeth. As the ancients said, a rope can saw through wood, and water can wear away a stone. This is no joke!

2 Structural characteristics of the tooth neck

The outermost part of the crown is protected by enamel, and the outermost part of the root is surrounded by cementum. The neck of the tooth is the junction of the crown and the root, and also the junction of enamel and cementum. In this area, not only does the thickness of enamel decrease sharply, but there may not be a good connection between enamel and cementum. For the above reasons, this area has become the soft spot of the tooth structure and is easily worn.

Source: Professional textbooks

3 Special environment of the tooth neck

The neck of the tooth is surrounded by gums, and a shallow groove around the tooth is formed between the two. A very small amount of liquid flows in it, which can protect the periodontal tissue. However, if there is a lot of acid accumulation in these liquids, it may erode the neck of the tooth. Over time, the neck tissue of the tooth is constantly disintegrated, and then a defect is formed.

03 How to prevent teeth from being broken by brushing?

1 Choose the right brushing method

Since we cannot choose and change the structure of the neck of the tooth, we can only focus on improving the brushing method and thereby improving the environment of the neck of the tooth. The currently recognized modified BASS method can effectively prevent teeth from being broken by brushing. First of all, the method recommends the short horizontal brushing method, that is, the bristles of the toothbrush vibrate horizontally for a short distance at the junction of the gums. This action not only shortens the horizontal movement distance, avoiding the possibility of strong sawing-style horizontal brushing of the teeth, but also avoids the accumulation of acidic substances in this area by cleaning the shallow grooves between the gums and teeth. It can be said to kill two birds with one stone.

2. Choose the right toothbrush

Another key point to prevent teeth from being broken is to choose the right toothbrush, which is especially important for people who brush their teeth vigorously. The bristles of a soft-bristled toothbrush can buffer excessive brushing force to a certain extent and help protect the neck of the tooth.

If you brush your teeth incorrectly or choose an inappropriate toothbrush, you may actually break your teeth. Please remember that only the right toothbrush and the correct brushing method can protect your dental health!