My friend brushes his teeth 2-3 times a day (sometimes more but never less). He uses a Philips Sonicare toothbrush which is supposed to be gentle on teeth. He also grinds his teeth in his sleep, and uses a mouthguard at night. When he brushes, he does it with his Sonicare for at least 20 minutes, sometimes a lot longer. This time does not include the flossing and rinsing. All in all it is usually at least an hour long ritual. He mostly uses regular instead to whitening toothpaste because it's less harsh on enamel. He claims if he doesn't brush his teeth so long, they become gray. He does also complain sometimes about his teeth being sensitive, and his dentist has reccomended using Sensodyne toothpaste. When you take into account how many times a day he brushes, and for how long, it's about an hour of scrubbing on those teeth daily, when most people spend maybe 10 minutes brushing a day. How can I convince him this is harmful? I need reputable sources.
2007-11-09 08:53:11 · 18 answers · asked by Corby 1 in Health ➔ Dental
dude, check this out, it helped me a lot when i had questions. i didn't even know i had been brushing my teeth wrong all these years!
http://www.expertvillage.com/videos/dental-care-how-to-brush-teeth.htm
2007-11-09 09:47:44 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If he dose not want to lose his teeth stop brushing so many times, he should only brush 1-2 times a day, one in the morning 1 at night. He;s not helping his teeth he's weakening them by brushing away the soft texture that protects the tooths surface.
2007-11-09 08:59:16 · answer #2 · answered by Junk 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes you can, and it will damage the enamel and cause sensitivity. My Braun has a timer and makes a noise to let you know you've been brushing for two minutes, which is the recommended amount of time according to the ADA.
2007-11-09 08:58:51 · answer #3 · answered by 2bzy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well i don't think it's harmful but if he brushes like 10 times a day then it's harmful
I have braces and um I have to brush my teeth for an hour but if he doesn't have braces then he should not be brushing for an hour
2007-11-09 09:05:18 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It might not hurt his teeth with all this brushing but what about his social life? Maybe, he should be seeing someone other than the dentist.
2007-11-09 08:57:46 · answer #5 · answered by my nickname 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Definitely too long. His sensitivity is most likely a direct result of over brushing with associated recession of gingival attachment. I appreciate his desire for oral hygiene but this is excessive. If he is spending that much time on his mouth, how long are his showers?
2007-11-09 09:32:04 · answer #6 · answered by enamel 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
tell him "get a life" or you could tell him " dude, your gonna brush off the enamel and pretty soon instead of brushing so much you'll be just taking your teeth out everynight and dropping them in a cup!"
2007-11-09 08:59:08 · answer #7 · answered by Tommy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think your friend had a case of OCD. Seems a little extrema to me...
Also I believe you can brush your teeth too much. I think it can cause your gums to recede.
2007-11-09 08:57:55 · answer #8 · answered by Shenva 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
it sounds like he might have OCD or some kind of problem,it could just be a lack of confience and thats how he tries to overcome it either way i think he should get help from docor and then go on from there.
2007-11-09 08:58:19 · answer #9 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not harmful unless he is brushing the gum. He is a freak and you can remind him that. He's just has an obessive personality.
2007-11-09 08:56:27 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋