Scientists say we clean our teeth the wrong way. Researchers from University College, London found that most of the advice that dentists give us is very different. They add that we have been cleaning our teeth the wrong way. The researchers looked at tooth-brushing advice in dental textbooks, toothpaste instructions and dental clinics. They found five different basic ways of tooth-brushing and decided all of them were incorrect. Most of the methods involve moving the toothbrush along the teeth, with the brush moving round and round in small circular movements. The researchers said we should stop doing this and use a back-and-forth movement instead.
科学家称,我们刷牙的方式是不对的。伦敦大学学院的研究者发现,不同牙医给我们的建议,差别很大。研究人员称,我们一直在用错误的方法刷牙。研究人员查看了牙科书籍、牙膏说明以及牙科诊所的刷牙建议。他们总结了5种不同的基本的刷牙方式,而且认定这5种方式都是错误的。大多数方法包括刷牙时沿着牙齿,而且刷牙的时候要用牙刷做微小的圆周动作。研究人员称,我们应该停止这种刷牙方式,而是采用上下运动的刷牙方法。
Aubrey Sheilam, lead author of the study and professor of dental public health, said: "The public needs to have sound information on the best method to brush their teeth." The research suggests not brushing teeth too much. More than twice a day damages the enamel on the teeth. The recommended time for brushing is no longer than three minutes each time. The research also says using too much pressure and brushing your teeth too hard will also damage teeth. Researchers also advised not cleaning your teeth immediately after eating. This is when acid is strongest in your mouth and this acid will damage teeth. A final recommendation was to clean the tongue too because it also has a lot of bacteria.