Teeth-brushing might not be the most glamorous part of your beauty routine - but it might just be one of the most important. In fact, it's said that we're more concerned about our oral hygiene than ever - with nearly 12 million of us switching to an electric toothbrush in the last five years (in pursuit of the pearliest whites, no doubt).
But whether you've invested in the latest dental tech or not (though if you fall in the latter category, today's top electric toothbrushes are proven to be far more nifty at keeping gum disease and other problems at bay), there's one key part of our tooth-brushing routine that we tend to forget.
If - like 42 per cent of people in the UK - you're not changing your toothbrush or toothbrush head as often as you need to, you're most likely not getting what you need out of your daily dental efforts.
So how often should we really be changing our toothbrush? Experts at the Oral Health Foundation say that we should be doing so every three months, or we risk damaging our gums and not actually cleaning the teeth properly.
If the bristles on your toothbrush are splayed and worn, it's definitely time to switch it out. And if you're noticing this even before the three-month mark is up, you'll need to hotfoot it to Boots stat - since you're not going to be cleaning your teeth properly with botched bristles.
Many of us missed our usual dental checkups for the majority of the past year thanks to the pandemic, though hopefully, attitudes towards our home routines are changing.
And since studies suggest that brushing your teeth regularly and properly can help you out neurologically (gum disease can speed up mental decline by six times) and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and pneumonia, we'd say getting it right is pretty important.
Want to know what else you can do to up your teeth-cleaning game? Get yourself a good fluoride toothpaste, use gentle circular movements and don't forget to floss.
[Via Glamour UK]
