Scientists from a London university say we clean our teeth the wrong way. Researchers found that different dentists give us different advice. The researchers looked at advice in dental textbooks, toothpaste instructions and dental clinics. They found five basic ways of tooth-brushing and said all of them were incorrect. Most of the methods involve moving the toothbrush along the teeth, using small circular movements. The researchers said we should stop doing this. They said we should use a backwards and forwards movement instead.

The lead author of the study is a professor of dental public health. He said we need good information on the best way to brush our teeth. The research suggests not brushing teeth more than twice a day. This damages the enamel on the teeth. We should brush for no longer than three minutes each time. We shouldn't use too much pressure and brush our teeth too hard. Researchers also said we shouldn't clean our teeth immediately after eating. This is when strong acid in your mouth can damage teeth. We should also clean our tongue because it has a lot of bacteria.