Philips Sonicare

Philips Sonicare
Can you brush your teeth too long?

My friend brushes his teeth 2-3 times a day (sometimes more but never less). He uses a Philips Sonicare toothbrush which is supposed to be gentle on teeth. He also grinds his teeth in his sleep, and uses a mouthguard at night. When he brushes, he does it with his Sonicare for at least 20 minutes, sometimes a lot longer. This time does not include the flossing and rinsing. All in all it is usually at least an hour long ritual. He mostly uses regular instead to whitening toothpaste because it's less harsh on enamel. He claims if he doesn't brush his teeth so long, they become gray. He does also complain sometimes about his teeth being sensitive, and his dentist has reccomended using Sensodyne toothpaste. When you take into account how many times a day he brushes, and for how long, it's about an hour of scrubbing on those teeth daily, when most people spend maybe 10 minutes brushing a day. How can I convince him this is harmful? I need reputable sources.

well teeth have 4 different layers, and the enamel has about .6 millimeters protecting the inner, sensitive parts. i recently had invisalign put in, and my ortho had to shave the enamel away to create space by using sandpaper. it took less than a minute to shave away .4 millimeters! that said, i would tell your friend that his behavior sounds irrational, and the additional brushing could lead to irreparable damage. the reason his teeth are becoming sensitive is because the hard, outer brittle layer of enamel is being worn away, exposing the nerves underneath. i also have a sonicare elite 9500, and while it offers differnt intensities, those brushes can in effect vibrate away the surface enamel. that's why it has a 2-minute timer which shuts off the toothbrush.

sensodyne is a flouride treatment that helps persons with sensitive teeth. if he stopped brushing so much, he probably wouldnt need to use it.

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