(219) 865-4095  1314 Eagle Ridge Dr, Schererville, IN 46375 |
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Posted on 1/15/2020 by Crossroads Family Dental |
 Have you ever turned on your TV and seen a commercial for toothpaste? If you have, you probably saw a shot of toothpaste being applied to a toothbrush head in a long swirling pattern. If you have ever actually tried to brush your teeth with that much toothpaste, you already know that's far too much toothpaste.Although those huge swirling dollops of toothpaste might look good on TV and might help sell toothpaste, the reality is you need far less than that in order to adequately clean your teeth. Why Use Toothpaste?Before talking about how much toothpaste to use, it might be helpful to remember why we use it. We don't just use it because it tastes good. Rather, toothpaste serves a few important roles. First, toothpaste helps scrub your teeth. As you go through your day, you collect bacteria, food particles, plaque, and other nasty stuff. A good toothpaste will help to scrub all the junk away and leave your mouth feeling clean and healthy. Second, toothpaste is one of the primary ways that your teeth will get the fluoride they need. Fluoride is used by your teeth to strengthen and repair the hardened outer layer (the enamel). Without adequate fluoride, your teeth would be much more likely to break and decay. How Much Toothpaste is Enough?That being said, how much toothpaste should you use? We usually tell our patients to use a dollop of toothpaste that is about the size of a pea. If you want to use more, you can, but be careful that you don't end up accidentally swallowing it. Some people will start off with a pea-sized amount of toothpaste and then add more as they go. Others just stick with the initial amount. However you choose, stick with the pea-sized rule of thumb, and you'll enjoy cleaner teeth. |
