Australian Dental Association
Written by Australian Dental Association
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Key messages

Step-by-step instructions for brushing your teeth with a manual toothbrush.

 

How to brush with a manual toothbrush 

  • Wet the toothbrush's bristles with a small amount of water.

  • Squeeze the toothpaste on to the toothbrush bristles. 

  • Put the toothbrush into your mouth at a 45-degree angle with the bristles sitting half over your teeth and half over your gums. 

  • Start by brushing  the top right teeth and then move to the top left teeth. Then brush the lower left teeth and lastly the lower right teeth. 

  • Turn the toothbrush to reach the outside, inside and top surfaces of your teeth.

  • Brush down to your gums to remove the bacteria sitting on the teeth in these areas. 

  • After brushing, spit out the toothpaste foam but do not rinse your mouth with water. This allows a layer of fluoride toothpaste to sit on your teeth for longer. This protects your teeth more.

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