If you are like most adults, brushing your teeth everyday is something you've gotten used to. However, you might have gotten lax in your routine and aren't doing some of the things you should to maintain good dental health. Here are some things to make sure you're doing when you brush your teeth each day.

Use a Soft-Bristle Toothbrush

To do a great job of brushing your teeth, you need to start with the right toothbrush. You might be using a firm-bristle toothbrush out of habit or think that soft bristles won't scrub your teeth well enough, but the truth is that soft bristles are better for your teeth. If you brush too hard with hard or firm bristles, you might wear down your tooth enamel over time. Your gums might also become irritated by firm bristles.

Look at Yourself

You might be doing any number of other activities while you brush your teeth, but if you are like many people you do not stare at yourself when brushing. However, this can be a good idea. When you keep an eye on your mouth in the mirror, you can make sure you brush each section of your mouth, including your back teeth and your gums. You can also monitor your brushing technique as you watch yourself to be confident that you're cleaning not just a part of each tooth, but the entire tooth.

Start Brushing in Different Parts of Your Mouth Each Day

One of the habits you might have picked up over the years is starting to brush in the same area of your mouth and continuing from there. However, when you do that, the teeth in that one area may get a lot of scrubbing, but the rest of your mouth might be neglected or rushed through. Make a decision every day to change where you start brushing so that all your teeth get the same attention.

Brush for Two Minutes

Because you're so used to brushing your teeth, you might not even know how long you brush your teeth for. The truth is that you should give yourself around two minutes for the entire process. This may seem like a long time, but you need to take the opportunity to brush all sides of every tooth you have, rather than rushing through it to get to the rest of your day.

Use the information laid out above to help you to improve your daily brushing routine. Ask your family dentist (like Brant N Olson, DDS PA.) for more ideas you can use to be confident that you're brushing properly, so that you can continue to have a beautiful white smile.