Attacking Plaque

It won't help if you brush harder

(HealthDayNews) -- You wake up in the morning, your eyes still stuck together, squirt some toothpaste in the general direction of the brush, and then brush as hard as you can as if you were trying to wake your mouth up by shaking your lower molars.

According to the Journal of Clinical Peridontology, you're wasting your energy. The extra force doesn't do any good.

In a study of plaque removal, a brushing force of about 10 ounces of pressure removed plaque most efficiently. Any more force than that might wear down both the toothbrush and the teeth a little bit faster, but had no added effect on removing dental plaque.

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