Brushing your teeth is one of the most important things that you can do to maintain a healthy smile. Without brushing, contaminants build up on teeth and eat away at the enamel and tooth decay begins to set in. Many people brush but thy fail to brush their teeth properly, which can be just as damaging as not brushing at all. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to brush your teeth and keep your teeth healthy.

To complete this task you will need the following items:

• A new tooth brush
• A cavity preventing toothpaste
• Mouthwash 
• A small cup for rinsing your mouth

1 – Start by making sure that your tooth brush is new and that the bristles are not worn down. The bristles on your tooth brush should be firm and standing up straight, there should be no signs of fray. A tooth brush that show signs of wear should be immediately be replaced, as the bristles will can be rough on the gums and scratchy to the teeth.

2 – With a proper brush in hand, apply a line of toothpaste and then put the brush inside the mouth starting at the back of the left side. Begin brushing the teeth in a circular motion and make sure that you cover the surface area of each part of every tooth. Slowly make your way while brushing from the back of the teeth to the front. Then repeat the process on the other side of the mouth to complete the brushing cycle. You should brush your teeth or a minimum of about two to three minutes each and every time you brush.

3 – Take the tooth brush and apply additional toothpaste before gently massaging along the gum lines. Make sure that you don't apply pressure when brushing the gums, as it could cause the gums to bleed. If your gums bleed it could be a sign of gum disease and you should have it checked out by a professional dentist to make sure that there isn't a medical problem causing the bleeding.

4 – Fill the small cup with water and then rinse the inside of the mouth out to remove the remaining toothpaste.

5 – Complete the whole process by taking a sip of mouthwash and gargling with it to give a protective barrier on the teeth. The mouthwash will also clean out the inside of the mouth of any lingering contaminants that might not have been removed by brushing.

Effectively brushing your teeth will help prevent cavities and fight gum disease, but it does not replace regular check-ups and cleanings at an affordable dentist. A dentist like Michael R Bishop DMD & Associates is the only one professionally trained to be able to check for diseases and clean underneath the gum lines of the teeth.