Knowing how to brush your teeth properly takes a few simple habits, not expensive products: brushing thoroughly twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, and cleaning once a day between your teeth, where a toothbrush does not reach well.
Your daily routine for healthy teeth at a glance
The key points, based on advice from the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) and the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP):
- Brush twice a day for about two minutes, including last thing at night before bed.
- Adults should use a toothpaste with at least 1,350 ppm (parts per million) fluoride. The figure is on the packaging.
- After brushing, spit out the toothpaste, but do not rinse your mouth with water.
- Once a day, clean between your teeth with interdental brushes or dental floss.
- Replace your toothbrush every three to four months, or sooner if the bristles become splayed, as the American Dental Association (ADA) advises.
- Cut down on sugary foods and drinks.
How to brush your teeth properly, step by step
- A small-headed brush. Choose a toothbrush with a small head and soft or medium bristles, so you can reach your back teeth too.
- Angle the bristles towards the gum. Hold the brush at an angle of about 45 degrees, with the bristles pointing towards the gumline. This is where plaque, the soft, sticky film of bacteria on your teeth, tends to build up.
- Short, gentle strokes. Move the brush back and forth in short strokes, each about one tooth wide. Do not press hard: plaque is soft and comes away without force.
- Every surface. Clean the outer and inner surfaces of every tooth, as well as the biting surfaces. For the inner surfaces of your front teeth, hold the brush upright and make a few up-and-down strokes.
- The same order every time. Follow a set route, for example upper right to upper left, then the lower teeth, so you do not miss any. Two minutes works out at about 30 seconds for each quarter of your mouth.
- Spit, but do not rinse. The fluoride left on your teeth keeps protecting them; rinsing with water washes it away.
This is known as the Bass technique. The EFP says it is the technique most commonly recommended, both for healthy gums and for gum disease (periodontitis). If your gums have receded, your dentist may suggest a different technique. The ADA describes the same angle and strokes.
When to wait before brushing
Acidic food and drinks temporarily soften enamel, the hard outer layer of your teeth, so brushing straight afterwards can wear tiny amounts of it away.
After fruit juice, fizzy drinks (including diet versions), wine or citrus fruit, wait at least an hour before you brush, as the UK’s Oral Health Foundation advises.
Electric vs manual toothbrush: does it matter?
According to the NHS, it does not matter whether you use an electric or a manual toothbrush. Cleaning every surface thoroughly matters more.
A 2014 Cochrane systematic review of 56 studies found that, after more than three months of use, electric toothbrushes reduced plaque by about 21% and gum inflammation by about 11% compared with manual ones. The authors note, however, that it is unclear how much difference this makes in the long term.
Which toothpaste should you choose?
What matters most is fluoride, which helps protect your teeth against decay. For adults, the NHS recommends a toothpaste with at least 1,350 ppm fluoride.
If you are at higher risk of tooth decay, your dentist may recommend a higher-fluoride toothpaste.
Toothpaste and brushing for children
According to the NHS, children can also use a family toothpaste containing 1,350–1,500 ppm fluoride. Children without tooth decay may use a lower-strength children’s toothpaste, but check that it contains at least 1,000 ppm fluoride.
For children under 3, use just a smear of toothpaste (a thin film) with at least 1,000 ppm fluoride; for those aged 3 to 6, use a pea-sized amount with 1,350–1,500 ppm.
Help or supervise your child when they brush until they are at least 7, and make sure they do not eat the toothpaste or lick it from the tube. Read more about your child’s first dental visit and caring for baby teeth.
How to clean between your teeth: floss or interdental brushes?
A toothbrush cleans the surfaces you can see, but it does not reach well into the narrow gaps between your teeth. Clean these gaps once a day as well, ideally before you brush rather than after, as both the NHS and the EFP advise.
Interdental brushes, small brushes on a handle that slide between the teeth, are the first choice wherever they fit. You will often need different sizes for different gaps. Each brush should fit snugly but go in without force.
Dental floss is for gaps that are too tight for an interdental brush.
A 2019 Cochrane systematic review of 35 studies found that floss, interdental brushes and oral irrigators (water flossers, which clean with a jet of water), used alongside brushing, may reduce gum inflammation, and that interdental brushes may work slightly better than floss. However, the evidence is of low or very low certainty and comes mainly from short-term studies.
How to floss properly
- Break off about 30–45 cm of floss and wind the ends around your fingers, leaving 3–4 cm of floss pulled taut between your hands.
- Gently ease it between two teeth, down to the gumline, without any sudden movements.
- Curve the floss into a C shape around one tooth and gently slide it up and down a few times.
- Repeat on the neighbouring tooth, then move on to the next gap, using a clean section of floss.
If you have not cleaned between your teeth before, your gums may bleed for the first few days. This is usually a sign of gum inflammation (gingivitis), not a reason to stop. With regular, gentle cleaning, the gums often settle within a few days, according to the EFP.
Do you need mouthwash?
Mouthwash does not replace brushing or cleaning between your teeth, because it does not remove plaque. You can use it as an extra, but you do not have to.
If you do use one, choose another time of day, such as after lunch, not straight after brushing, so you do not wash away the fluoride from your toothpaste. After using a fluoride mouthwash, do not eat or drink for 30 minutes.
Use a chlorhexidine mouthwash only on your dentist’s advice and for no more than two weeks. It can stain your teeth and tongue and change your sense of taste.
Mouthwash is not the answer to bleeding gums. Better cleaning is, followed by a check-up if the bleeding continues.
Tongue, crowns and dentures: a little extra care
If bad breath bothers you, also clean your tongue gently once a day with a tongue scraper or cleaner, as the NHS advises. Persistent bad breath is a reason to have a check-up, not to reach for a stronger mouthwash.
Plaque builds up more easily around crooked or crowded teeth, and around fillings and crowns (caps). Brush these areas with particular care.
Clean your dentures (false teeth) every day and take them out overnight, unless your dentist has advised otherwise.
If you smoke, stopping may be the most important step you can take for healthy gums, according to the EFP. In smokers, bleeding gums may be less noticeable, so gum disease can go undetected for longer.
When to see a dentist
Even the most thorough brushing cannot remove tartar (calculus), which is hardened plaque. Only professional teeth cleaning, often called a scale and polish, can remove it. A check-up can also pick up problems that are not yet causing pain.
How often you need a check-up depends on your individual risk, so your dentist will recommend an interval that suits you. The EFP advises a check-up at least once a year.
Do not wait for your next routine check-up. Book an appointment if:
- your gums bleed, swell or hurt, and this does not settle after a few days of regular, gentle cleaning
- bad breath does not go away after several weeks of good oral care
- you have toothache, or a tooth feels loose
- you have a problem with your dentures
For more about gums, read Bleeding gums: early signs of gum disease and see gum disease treatment. If you have toothache, find out what to do until you can see a dentist and how to request a same-day appointment during opening hours, when one is available.
At your check-up, you can ask the dentist to show you the technique and which interdental brush sizes suit you. If you wear braces or have implants, also ask which cleaning aids are right for you.
Brushing and flossing: your questions answered
How long and how often should you brush your teeth?
Twice a day, for about two minutes each time: last thing at night and at one other time of day, for example in the morning. Clean between your teeth once a day.
Do I still need to floss if I brush regularly?
Yes, once a day, with floss or interdental brushes. A toothbrush does not reach well between the teeth, and cleaning there may help reduce gum inflammation. Which suits you depends on how wide the gaps are.
Can mouthwash replace brushing?
No. You can use it as an extra, but it does not remove plaque the way a toothbrush and floss do. Use it at a different time of day, not straight after brushing.
My gums bleed when I clean my teeth. Should I stop?
No. Bleeding is usually a sign of gum inflammation (gingivitis). Keep cleaning gently and regularly, including between your teeth. If the bleeding has not settled after a few days, book a check-up.
How often should you change your toothbrush?
The ADA advises every three to four months, or sooner if the bristles are worn and splayed. The same goes for the head of an electric toothbrush.
If you would like to check that you are brushing correctly, or you are due a check-up, book an appointment.
Sources
- NHS – How to keep your teeth clean (reviewed 30 June 2025)
- European Federation of Periodontology – Gum disease prevention
- European Federation of Periodontology – Gum disease FAQs
- Cochrane – Yaacob M et al. 2014, Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (CD002281; 56 trials)
- Cochrane – Worthington HV et al. 2019, Home use of interdental cleaning devices, in addition to toothbrushing (CD012018; 35 trials)
- ADA MouthHealthy – Brushing your teeth
- Oral Health Foundation – Dental erosion
- NHS – Bad breath (reviewed 5 June 2025)