It is always advisable to follow your toothbrush manufacturer’s instructions for the optimum results.

Generally, however, you should follow these rules:

Apply toothpaste and then turn the toothbrush on when it is in your mouth.

This is to prevent the toothpaste from falling off the brush. The amount of toothpaste and whether the bristles should be wet or dry varies between different types of toothbrushes and will be detailed in the brushes’instructions.

If your toothbrush has different modes, make sure it is switched to the right one.

Many toothbrushes have different operation modes. Those with sensitive teeth, braces and veneers for example should use a ‘sensitive’setting.

Lightly grip the toothbrush.

Hold the toothbrush in a similar way to how you would hold a pen, in the fingers rather than your fist. This will ensure precision brushing and maintain appropriate pressure.

Move the toothbrush over the teeth.

Using a small back and forth motion, ensure that you cover the front and back tooth surfaces, the boundary between the teeth and gums and the chewing surfaces.

Use gentle pressure.

The main difference in using manual and electric toothbrushes is that the electric toothbrush does most of the work for you; there is therefore no need to ‘scrub’ the teeth as with traditional toothbrushes. Using gentle pressure also helps to avoid damage to the gums, tooth enamel and gingivitis.

Brush the teeth for at least two minutes.

Dental professionals recommend that you brush your teeth for a minimum of two minutes. Many electric toothbrushes have built in timers and some use ‘quad pacer’ technology to alert you every thirty seconds and so enabling you to brush each quadrant of your mouth for an equal time.

Clean the rest of your mouth.

After switching the toothbrush off, clean your tongue and inside your cheeks. Rinse the toothbrush before storing.