Shoutout to the dentist who told me to stop brushing so hard

After 2 years of my gums bleeding every morning I finally switched to a soft brush and it stopped in a week. Has anyone else had a basic habit change fix something they thought was a big problem?

2 comments

2 Comments

benlewis1d ago

Wait, did your dentist not tell you that from the start? I read somewhere that brushing too hard actually wears down your enamel and makes your gums pull back over time. My old dentist always said "scrub like you're washing a baby" but I never listened until I had the same bleeding issue. Switched to a soft brush and it was honestly like night and day. Also cut way back on mouthwash with alcohol in it because I heard that can dry out your gums and make things worse. It's crazy how something so simple like brush pressure can mess up your whole mouth.

mason_flores211d ago

100% on the mouthwash thing, I used to use the super strong Listerine every single day because I thought if it burned it meant it was working. Turns out that alcohol just dries everything out and makes your breath worse long term. I switched to a fluoride rinse without alcohol and my gums stopped bleeding in like two weeks. Also the baby scrubbing thing is so real, I actually set a timer on my phone for two minutes and focus on being gentle instead of aggressive. My hygienist even showed me how to hold the brush with just my thumb and two fingers to naturally use less pressure. It feels weird at first but now I can't go back to scrubbing like I'm sanding a deck.