Written by Dr. Lisa Hilpl, DMD and Owner of Comfort Care Dental in Mansfield, MA
We brush our teeth every day, so you would think we'd all be experts at
But here's something I see all the time as a dentist: many people were never actually taught how to brush their teeth correctly. Most of us were handed a toothbrush as children, told to "brush your teeth," and that was pretty much the end of the lesson. So let's go back to basics. Because brushing harder isn't necessarily brushing better—and where you put the toothbrush matters just as much as how long you use it.
The primary goal of brushing is to disrupt and remove dental plaque. Plaque isn't simply leftover food. It's a sticky biofilm containing communities of bacteria that constantly forms on your teeth. If plaque isn't regularly disrupted, bacteria within that biofilm can contribute to tooth decay and inflammation of the gums.
One of plaque's favorite places to accumulate is exactly where many people miss: Along the gumline.
That's why toothbrush position is so important.
The Magic Number: 45 Degrees
If there's one thing I want you to remember from this article, it's this:
Angle your toothbrush approximately 45 degrees toward your gumline.
Don't hold the toothbrush completely flat against the side of your tooth.
Instead, tilt the bristles slightly so they are directed toward the area where the tooth and gum meet.
Why?
Plaque tends to accumulate along this junction and just beneath the edge of the gums. Angling the bristles toward the gumline allows them to clean this area more effectively.
Think:
Tooth + Gumline = Where your toothbrush needs to be.
Small Movements, Not Aggressive Scrubbing
Here's another common mistake I see:
Scrubbing too hard.
Your teeth aren't a dirty kitchen floor.
You don't need to attack them.
Using a soft-bristled toothbrush, position the bristles at that approximately 45-degree angle and use gentle, short strokes or small circular motions.
Work systematically around your mouth.
A good rule is to brush only a few teeth at a time rather than making huge back-and-forth movements across the entire side of your mouth.
Controlled movements give the bristles time to actually contact the tooth and gumline.
More Pressure Does NOT Mean Cleaner Teeth
This is important.
Some patients believe that if a little pressure is good, a lot must be better.
It isn't.
Aggressive brushing can traumatize the gums and contribute to toothbrush abrasion and sensitivity, particularly around exposed root surfaces.
Your toothbrush should do the work.
If the bristles on your toothbrush look flattened and spread out after a short period of use, that's often a clue that you're pressing too hard.
Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and gentle pressure.
You're trying to remove a soft bacterial biofilm—not sand down your teeth.
Don't Just Brush the Parts You Can See
When most people brush, they naturally focus on the outside surfaces of their front teeth because those are the teeth they see in the mirror.
Unfortunately, plaque doesn't care what you can see.
Every tooth has multiple surfaces that need attention.
Make sure you brush:
- The outer surfaces facing your cheeks and lips
- The inner surfaces facing your tongue
- The chewing surfaces of your back teeth
- The gumline
- The backs of your very last molars
One commonly missed area is the inside surface of the lower front teeth.
For these teeth, turn your toothbrush more vertically and use the tip of the brush with gentle up-and-down strokes.
Those lower front teeth are also an area where we frequently see significant tartar accumulation because of nearby salivary ducts.
Give Yourself the Full Two Minutes
The American Dental Association recommends brushing twice a day for two minutes with fluoride toothpaste.
Two minutes doesn't sound very long—until you actually time yourself.
Try it.
Many people who believe they're brushing for two minutes discover they're actually brushing for 30 or 45 seconds.
An electric toothbrush with a built-in timer can be very helpful. If you're using a manual toothbrush, set a timer on your phone until two minutes starts to feel natural.
You can also divide your mouth into four sections:
Upper right – 30 seconds
Upper left – 30 seconds
Lower right – 30 seconds
Lower left – 30 seconds
There's your two minutes.
Manual or Electric Toothbrush?
Both can work.
The best toothbrush is ultimately the one you will use correctly and consistently.
That said, I frequently recommend electric toothbrushes because they can make proper brushing easier. Many have two-minute timers, 30-second quadrant reminders and pressure sensors that alert you when you're pushing too hard.
But an electric toothbrush isn't magic.
You still have to put it in the right place.
With many powered toothbrushes, you don't need to aggressively scrub back and forth. Position the brush along the tooth and gumline and slowly guide it from tooth to tooth, allowing the brush head to do the work.
Use Fluoride Toothpaste
For most adults and children who are old enough to use toothpaste appropriately, I recommend brushing with a fluoride toothpaste.
Fluoride does something your toothbrush cannot.
Brushing mechanically disrupts plaque.
Fluoride helps protect the mineral structure of your teeth by promoting remineralization and increasing resistance to acid attacks.
So brushing gives us two important things at once:
Mechanical plaque removal + chemical protection from fluoride.
Don't Forget Your Tongue
Your tongue has thousands of tiny structures that can harbor bacteria, food debris and compounds associated with bad breath.
Give your tongue a gentle brushing when you're finished with your teeth.
You don't have to aggressively scrub it. A few gentle passes from back to front are usually sufficient.
A tongue scraper can also be helpful for patients who prefer one.
And Yes…You Still Have to Floss
I wish brushing could clean everything.
It can't.
Toothbrush bristles do a great job on exposed tooth surfaces, but they don't effectively clean the tight contact areas between your teeth.
That's why brushing and interdental cleaning work together.
Think of brushing as cleaning the front, back and top of your teeth.
Floss or another appropriate interdental cleaner gets into the spaces your toothbrush can't reach.
If you're brushing beautifully but never cleaning between your teeth, part of every tooth is still being missed.
A Simple Brushing Routine
Here's the routine I want my patients to remember:
Use a soft toothbrush.
Add fluoride toothpaste.
Angle the bristles about 45 degrees toward the gumline.
Use gentle, controlled movements.
Brush the outside, inside and chewing surfaces of every tooth.
Don't forget the gumline or your back molars.
Brush for two full minutes, twice a day.
Clean between your teeth daily.
That's it.
It isn't complicated—but technique matters.
Dr. Lisa's Takeaway
One of the best things you can do for your dental health costs only a few dollars and takes about four minutes out of your entire day.
But those four minutes need to count.
Brushing isn't about how aggressively you scrub. It's about where you place the toothbrush, how you angle the bristles, how much pressure you use, and whether you consistently reach every surface.
So tonight, when you pick up your toothbrush, take an extra second before you start.
Look in the mirror.
Find your gumline.
Angle that toothbrush about 45 degrees toward it, slow down, use gentle pressure, and give yourself the full two minutes.
Sometimes the biggest improvements in oral health don't come from doing something new.
They come from doing the basics really well.
Dr. Lisa Hilpl, DMD is the owner of Comfort Care Dental in Mansfield, Massachusetts, where she and her team focus on preventive, comprehensive dental care and helping patients understand the “why” behind a healthy smile.