"Two By Two" And "Three, Three, Three" Of Brushing?

Children need to brush “2 × 2.” That means brushing two times a day for two minutes each time. A lot of people think of toothpaste as soap. Toothpaste companies like Procter & Gamble would love you to think that way—but that is not true. Toothpaste is more like medicine than soap.

Because it is medicine, it has to linger in your mouth long enough to do its job. That is why two minutes is important. The average American—both adults and children—brushes for about 55 seconds, not even a full minute. You can gain a huge benefit by not rinsing with water after brushing. However, most people don’t like the taste of toothpaste lingering, and most people don’t need to go that far. Still, in some cases, people who don’t brush well while wearing braces can prevent cavities by doing this.

For adults, it gets even harder: “3 × 3 × 3.”
The first “three” means you have to brush three times a day. Yes—three times a day. No compromise. If you aim for brushing three times a day, you may fall back to twice a day once in a blue moon. That is still much better than aiming for two times a day. Again, the key to success is not compromising.

The second “three” means brushing for three minutes. When the average American brushes for less than a minute, three minutes can feel like an eternity. Once you try it, you will realize how long that time actually is. The goal is for the toothpaste to linger long enough to be effective. So three full minutes—without compromise—is the goal.

The last “three” is something even my wife didn’t get. In fact, I have never met anyone who guessed it correctly. The answer is that you have to brush within three minutes of your last meal. In other words, you should brush right away rather than waiting half an hour.

When you eat, your mouth becomes acidic—similar to a car battery or soda. When you brush right away, the toothpaste neutralizes the acid and removes plaque before it sticks to the teeth and hardens into tartar.

In summary:
For kids, brush twice a day for two minutes.
For adults, brush three times a day, for three minutes, within three minutes of eating.

Is it simple? Period.