From the Guidelines
You should brush your teeth at least twice a day, after meals and at bedtime, to reduce the risk of bleeding and maintain good oral health. This recommendation is based on the most recent and highest quality study available, which suggests that brushing teeth twice a day according to the Bass or modified Bass method is effective in reducing the risk of bleeding and promoting oral health 1.
When brushing your teeth, it is essential to use a soft toothbrush or swab, and a mild fluoride-containing, non-foaming toothpaste. Each brushing session should last about two minutes, and you should brush all surfaces of your teeth using gentle circular motions. Additionally, you should rinse your brush thoroughly after use with water and store the toothbrush in a cup with the brush head facing upward.
Some key points to consider when brushing your teeth include:
- Using a soft toothbrush or swab to reduce the risk of bleeding
- Brushing teeth twice a day, after meals and at bedtime
- Using a mild fluoride-containing, non-foaming toothpaste
- Brushing all surfaces of your teeth using gentle circular motions
- Rinsing your brush thoroughly after use with water
- Storing the toothbrush in a cup with the brush head facing upward
It is also important to note that if you are used to cleaning the area between your teeth, you should continue to do so once a day, but if you are not used to doing so, you should not start while on cancer therapy, as it can break the epithelial barrier and cause gingival bleeding 1.
In terms of the frequency of brushing, while some studies suggest that brushing more than twice a day may offer additional protection, the current evidence is unclear, and brushing twice a day is a reasonable social norm that is both effective and convenient for most people's daily routines 1.
From the Research
Tooth Brushing Frequency
- The optimal frequency for brushing teeth is a topic of discussion among dental professionals, with some studies suggesting that brushing once per day is sufficient to maintain oral health 2.
- However, most dentists recommend brushing teeth twice daily to improve plaque control, which has been shown to be effective in maintaining oral health in numerous studies 2.
- A systematic review and meta-analysis found that self-reported infrequent brushers had a higher incidence and increment of carious lesions compared to frequent brushers, with an odds ratio of 1.50 and 1.45 for incidence and increment, respectively 3.
- Another study found that regular twice-daily toothbrushing with a fluoridated toothpaste improved oral hygiene knowledge and behavior in schoolchildren, with a significant increase in brushing frequency after the first intervention 4.
Factors Influencing Tooth Brushing Frequency
- The type of dentition (deciduous or permanent) may influence the effect of infrequent brushing on incidence and increment of carious lesions, with a higher effect seen in deciduous dentition 3.
- Age may also be a factor, with one study finding that the "Brush Day and Night" program was more effective among children aged 7-9 years 4.
- The use of powered toothbrushes did not appear to have a significant advantage over manual toothbrushes in terms of oral hygiene or clinical parameters in a cross-sectional study 5.
Special Populations
- Nursing home residents may require regular professional brushing by a dental nurse to improve oral hygiene, with one study finding significant improvements in oral health parameters after 3 months of regular brushing 6.
- Regular professional brushing can help reduce root caries incidence and preserve the number of teeth in nursing home residents 6.