Im 32 and my family never really brushed our teeth or maintained any kind of oral hygiene. Only now I've lived in the city for a few months have I realized the social norm is to brush my teeth. Is it too late to start brushing now or could I damamge my teeth? I've never been to a dentist before but my teeth seem healthy enough.
I've never brushed my teeth before
- Thread starter Barry
- Start date
You can start brushing now but I would strongly suggest to visit a dentist asap to check your oral health. You ll probably need some periodontal treatment and hopefully nothing more. Ask your dentist to give you information on the right way of teeth brushing and flossing.
You can't turn back time so it's never too late!
You can't turn back time so it's never too late!
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- Jun 17, 2015
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Hey Barry! Short answer is no, it's not too late! Get a soft bristled brush and some good toothpaste and you're ready to go. Twice a day--Once in the morning after you wake up, and once more before you hit the hay. You'd only damage your teeth if you brush with too much force. Once you're comfortable, get into flossing! Toothbrushing + flossing is the way to go 
Still, a thorough dental screening wouldn't hurt. Many diseases or problems in the mouth are often misdiagnosed or overlooked outside the clinical setting, and what you'd consider healthy may not be so to a dentist.
Still, a thorough dental screening wouldn't hurt. Many diseases or problems in the mouth are often misdiagnosed or overlooked outside the clinical setting, and what you'd consider healthy may not be so to a dentist.
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2015
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- 5
That's something that happens to most people when they brush their teeth, and blood + saliva will look like there's more blood than there really is.
So it is normal from your description. Keep brushing for the week. If the bleeding is still a lot, a dentist should look into it! Also, do you see some hard, yellowish stuff behind your front-most lower teeth? That'd be calculus. Those things can only be removed by scaling at the dentist's.
(You might be interested in proper brushing technique as well! It'll ensure you're thoroughly removing plaque and not damaging your teeth.)
So it is normal from your description. Keep brushing for the week. If the bleeding is still a lot, a dentist should look into it! Also, do you see some hard, yellowish stuff behind your front-most lower teeth? That'd be calculus. Those things can only be removed by scaling at the dentist's.
(You might be interested in proper brushing technique as well! It'll ensure you're thoroughly removing plaque and not damaging your teeth.)