Brushing Areas

Purple – You struggle to brush in-between your teeth... because your toothbrush isn’t designed for this area! We love floss, piksters or our favourite – a water flosser.

Blue – These areas are a real struggle to reach due to the muscles and bone holding your jaw in place. Make space back here by swinging your jaw to the side and avoid opening too wide.

Red – If you notice plaque around your canines, this can be from brushing your teeth too ‘square’ in a side-front-side approach- missing the corners of your arch. Fix this by adapting the toothbrush to each tooth in the arch and be mindful about which teeth you have –or haven’t cleaned when adjusting your hand positions.

Green – This is a very common place to miss because it is often covered up and protected by the tongue! You may be surprised how low the toothbrush has to go to reach the gums here. Luckily, this area is easy to keep an eye on in the mirror.

Orange – The back molars on the inside is usually easy to reach but is a very common sensory trigger point for gagging and sensory overstimulation. Trying different head positions may help alleviate these symptoms, as well as starting from the front of the mouth and working your way back to slowly desensitise these areas and keep these teeth clean.

Yellow – A combination of a tight space and sometimes crowded teeth make this spot hide a lot of plaque and calculus... causing recession and damage to the gums over time. Refine your technique by tilting your toothbrush to the sky and flicking the bristles up and out to dislodge the debris. Remember though - if it doesn't come off with your toothbrush, trust a qualified dental clinician to remove the calculus effectively with the gentle devices here in the clinic.

- 19 March 2024 by Melanie Blooms -