Got veneers and realized I’ve apparently been brushing my teeth wrong my whole life
Did anyone else know there were actual names for different brushing styles? I had no clue until I got veneers recently and the dental staff gave me a whole lecture about brushing properly.
Apparently brushing in circles has a name, brushing side to side has a name, brushing up and down has a name too. I mostly brush up and down, so I guess I’ve been doing that one this whole time without knowing.
The problem is a lot of us brush in ways that clean the surface of the teeth but miss the tiny space where the teeth meet the gums. That’s where plaque and food debris build up, which can lead to gum disease. They also told me if I’m not careful, it can affect the longevity of veneers too.
They recommended something called the modified bass technique and I had never heard of it in my entire life before. It’s basically angling the bristles toward the gumline at 45 degrees, using small vibrations in place, then sweeping downward or upward depending on the area. Way more specific than the random scrubbing I’ve been doing my whole life.
As for the veneers for anyone curious, I got mine done at Lucid dental. I went in hoping to only get my front two teeth done and thought maybe I’d be a candidate for no prep veneers, but they said that wasn’t realistic for my case. They explained that if I only did two teeth, it probably wouldn’t look natural so I ended up doing six.
That made the cost go up fast but I’m happy with how it turned out. My front teeth needed more help than I wanted to admit and two teeth probably wouldn’t have fixed the overall look.
Now I’m at the point where I already spent the money so maintenance is everything. Funny how getting veneers suddenly turns you into someone who cares deeply about brushing technique