Is Over Brushing Really A Thing? Brushing Teeth Too Frequently?

We certainly know the comb-over was.
Technically, that’s a form of over brushing and brushing over. It was particularly popular in the ’70s for balding men pretending that what was happening wasn’t. The pretence extended to those in their company who sat alongside them on their felucca fantasy trip, no doubt looking toward the Unfinished Obelisk and wondering where in Aswan they were.
Other than a toupée or “punch-line” plug transplants there wasn’t much of an option for a receding hairline or male pattern baldness then. There was a hair’s breadth between regaining the confidence that diminished with each failing follicle, and being perceived as vain – predominantly considered a woman’s domain. Ironically, the gene responsible for hereditary hair loss is passed on by women, who more often than not pass on the passes made by men who have it.
It’s a bad spot for a bloke to be in, and along with tooth extraction rather than restoration, the comb-over was as good a solution as any at the time. So much so, father and son team Frank J. Smith and Donald J. Smith actually patented it on 10th May 1977; my father’s 39th birthday. Which has nothing to do with anything other than despite getting the gift that stops giving from his mother, he never subscribed to a comb-over.
It was a hair ‘style’ that certainly wasn’t new. Off the top of my head, Julius Caesar’s fatal mistake wasn’t only his inability to interpret omens because he definitely had one; King Charles IX of Sweden fashioned his into a front rat tail to hold the rest of it in a cross on his head (so help me God), and Napoleon made no bones at all about his. It was the Smiths’ development of a complex coiffing system involving both sides and the back, replete with nonce strand numbering and six diagrams that somehow impressed the US Patent and Trademark Office enough to grant their application.
Although Harvard University awarded it an Ig Nobel prize for engineering in 2004, not a cent was ever made by officially protecting any uncontrolled use of this complex combo comb-over.
Donald Trump seems to have adopted it gratis. As carefully a constructed facade as his honesty and intelligence, gusts of wind did have it come a gutser in 2018 when the then POTUS was boarding (H)Air Force One. It was a draught he couldn’t dodge; the resounding image like looking up the tu-tu of an albino hippo on the cutting room floor of Fantasia.
Actor Yul Brynner was the first to make bald sexy in the 20th century, after shaving his head for his leading role in 1956’s The King And I. Not only did it win him his only Oscar he continued to shave his head for the rest of his life.
Next up in the breaking-the-bald-mould stakes was Telly Savalas; though he didn’t remove his hair, it’d removed itself prior to his ’70s hit TV cop show Kojak. With the catchcry “Who loves ya, Baby?” his character sucked on lollipops in order for the actor to quit smoking in real life.
Apparently by the end of the first series, Savalas had gotten three cavities from this cross-over fictional flaw. Maybe brushing wasn’t his forte – obviously not his hair, and maybe not so much his teeth either.
Over brushing hair is a real thing, where too frequent and too vigorous a brushing leads to breakage and damage – and the same applies to teeth.

Couple that with a medium or hard bristled toothbrush in preference to a soft one, and the scrubbing action can damage gum tissue and dental enamel, as well as creating tooth sensitivity. Some people don’t realise that although it is the hardest substance produced by the human body, it is forever in a state of flux rather than maintaining a static condition.
Enamel is soft for at least twenty minutes after eating or drinking, and it’s the reaction of contact with just saliva that hardens it. It’s the reason that grazing, snacking and sipping water all day are not so good for optimal oral health because there’s not enough opportunity for enamel to harden. And although it’s an encouraged practice to brush after meals, it shouldn’t be done immediately following the chewing and ingesting of food without the risk of permanent damage to this most unique biological material.
Brushing twice a day, for two minutes is largely what people do. The suggested time now, is three minutes using correct techniques – which include minimal pressure and soft bristles. Three times a day is good; four is too many, unless it’s under the specific advice of your dentist. Having orthodontics certainly requires a different oral health regimen; as does pre-or-post surgery, and having implants or crowns.
It’s useful to keep in mind that brushing doesn’t actually make your teeth white.
Genetics and professional treatments do, so there’s no point going at it like an orbital sander. Not only are you doing no good, it’s likely you’re doing minus-good. Particularly if you’re using activated charcoal or some type of abrasive toothpaste that claims to remove stains and discolouration.
If tooth colour is your concern, stop watching footage of the rich and famous, understand that less than 1% of the population is born with whiter-than-white teeth, and don’t do anything TikTok tells you. Only the expertise of a dentist can safely brighten your smile, without you looking like a cartoon reject.
Although we live in a world where ‘the more the more’ seems the goal, it’s not appropriate to apply that to the brushing of your teeth. The simplest sign of over brushing is whether, and how quickly, your toothbrush bristles splay. They shouldn’t; and nor will they using the correct pressure, duration and recommended replacement guidelines.
It’s a good thing to brush up on your brushing technique. During your next dental appointment, spend some time with the hygienist for feedback only someone in the know can give. It’s an easy investment of time that will save you money and grief in the future, effectively by avoiding plaque build-up that creates all kinds of oral issues. As with anything, unuseful methods and habits can creep in and it’s good to eradicate them.
Like the comb-over. We are over that, aren’t we?
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