The Truth About Your Tooth

How Much Time Should You Spend Daily on Your Oral Health?

Have you ever wondered how much time you should spend daily on caring for your teeth, gums, and mouth? Many people wonder if they spend enough time caring for these vital body parts, but how much time is enough? If you ask your dentist about this, they might suggest the following tips to ensure that you care properly for your mouth.

1. Time You Should Spend Brushing

Brushing your teeth is probably the most essential step of your oral care routine, but how much time should you spend doing this daily? Your dentist is likely to tell you a few crucial things if you ask them.

The first thing is that you should brush your teeth two to three times a day. The first time you should brush is in the morning when you wake up. Brushing first thing in the morning helps beat bad breath throughout the day and leaves your teeth and mouth fresh. It would also help if you brushed your teeth right before bed each night. If you decide to brush a third time during the day, you can choose the time. Some people like doing this after lunch or later in the afternoon because their mouths feel dirty and smelly at this time.  

When brushing, you should aim to do it for two to three minutes each time you brush. If you brush two to three times a day and include the time it takes to rinse your brush, you should spend around ten minutes a day brushing.

2. Time You Should Spend Flossing

Flossing is an activity that some people view as optional, while others do this daily without question. Some people floss only when necessary. They may do it when they feel food trapped between their teeth. Your dentist may suggest flossing once a day, and the best time is just before bed. Flossing takes only one to two minutes a day and is well worth it. If you add this to the ten minutes needed for brushing, you are up to around twelve minutes a day for oral care.

3. Time You Should Spend with a Mouth Rinse

The third vital task you should complete daily is using a mouth rinse. Your dentist might recommend using a mouth rinse twice each day, and you should rinse for one full minute each time. If you do this twice a day, that will take around two to three minutes. If you add all these times up, you might find that you should spend approximately fifteen minutes caring for your teeth daily. You can talk to a local family dentistry if you have questions about your oral care routine.