So, you think you’re a good teeth cleaner. Try this quick quiz …
Q.1 How many times a day should you brush your teeth?
Q.2 Should you floss before or after brushing?
Q.3 Do you need to use mouthwash?
Q.4 Are electric brushes better than manual?
For Dental Health Week (4–10 August 2025), I interviewed Associate Professor Melanie Aley, Director of Oral Health at the Sydney Dental School. She shared these guidelines to help keep our teeth and gums in good shape for as long as possible:
A.1 Research has shown that brushing twice a day for 2 minutes at a time is ideal.
A.2 It doesn’t matter really whether you floss before or after brushing, as long as you floss. However, flossing ‘effectively’ is a skill so many dental professionals are now recommending that we use interdental brushes (which are the little colour-coded brushes that look like pipe cleaners).
A.3 Unlike all the TV advertising, most people don’t need a mouthwash for good oral hygiene. Brushing and cleaning between the teeth does the job!
A.4 Yes, evidence shows that an electric toothbrush does a better job of removing plaque than manual cleaning.
Having said all that, Professor Aley goes on to explain that “the reason electrics can be better than manual is that with the rotary head, a person basically just needs to hold the brush to the teeth and the machine does the rest. With manual brushing, you need to create the rotating action. Plus, many electric toothbrushes have a built-in timer and buzz you at 2 minutes, which makes sure you don’t cut the ritual short.”
I shared with Professor Aley that my mother gave me a hard bristle brush with which to scrub my teeth. She quickly retorted: “Ahhh, no, a small, soft bristle brush is best as hard bristles and scrubbing back and forth can actually wear away your enamel and lead to sensitivity. It’s best for people when manually brushing to set an egg timer or put on a song. The best routine to follow is to do all outside surfaces first, then all inside surfaces, followed by all biting surfaces. And don’t forget to angle the bristles towards the gumline while using a circular motion.”
Like many health issues, our oral health has been shown to have genetic links which may increase your risk of gum disease. So, if your parents had poor oral health or lost all their teeth at a young age, best to take extra special care with your oral hygiene.
A healthy diet and lifestyle goes a long way towards longevity. However, there’s more to the picture. Professor Aley clarifies that “there is now a clear link between oral health and heart health. Of course, avoiding sugars and highly acidic foods and soft drinks is still required. I would also recommend people visit their dental professional every 6 to 12 months, as many issues are preventable as long as they are identified early.”
