Dr. Katie To says aggressive brushing with hard bristles causes gum recession. Use a soft toothbrush and brush for two full minutes instead of scrubbing hard for thirty seconds. Set a phone timer to make sure you hit the time.
I always tell my patients that it's not how hard you brush your teeth; it's how long you brush your teeth. A lot of people think that the harder bristle toothbrush, it's going to make their teeth feel cleaner. What they end up doing is they end up brushing for a shorter amount of time, but harder. When you do that, it causes recession in the mouth. What I tell patients is get a soft bristle toothbrush, soft, extra soft. The softer it is, the better. Get a soft bristle toothbrush and brush for longer. Most people are brushing for under 2 minutes. They think that they're brushing for the correct amount of time, but if you actually put on a timer on your phone and try to go for 2 minutes, it's a lot longer than you think it is. Put on that timer, brush.
