Self-Care Strategies

Toothbrushing
Manual toothbrush—Use of a soft or ultra soft toothbrush with soft end rounded bristles lowers the risk of gingival recession and abrasion of exposed cementum and dentin.

Power toothbrush—Less force or pressure on the teeth is needed when brushing with a powered toothbrush, since they require a light grasp and a minimal amount of pressure to remove plaque. When dental hygienists encounter clients who are aggressive brushers, they should instruct them to grasp the power toothbrush lightly and apply minimal pressure.

Brushing technique and sequence—The brushing sequence is best started in a nonsensitive. quadrant and ended within the most sensitive quadrant. Brushing strokes that are focused on one to two teeth should be used instead of long horizontal strokes reaching across several teeth.

Use of nondominant hand—Use of the nondominant hand by an aggressive brusher forces attention to the toothbrushing task and increases awareness of the need to reduce the amount of pressure employed.

Change grasp—It takes a conscious effort for a client to change from using a palm grasp when using the toothbrush. By increasing the awareness of brushing technique the individual can focus on brushing thoroughly but gently.