Can you brush your teeth too much? I get this question all the time. I don’t think you can brush or floss too much, but you can definitely do yourself harm if you brush or floss INCORRECTLY too much. The main thing you want to avoid is creating recession by being too aggressive. We will all get ‘long in the tooth’ over time, but scrubbing the sides of your teeth will cause your gumline to recede quicker than mother nature intended. So you must brush properly. Scrub the biting surfaces of your teeth all you want. They are covered in enamel and you will do no harm. But on the sides, brush away from the gumline only as if you’re trying to bring the gum tissue up towards the biting surface. As far as floss is concerned, gently saw the floss through the contact, slide the floss between the gum and tooth (there are two teeth to clean at each spot), and gently wipe the soft plaque off the tooth surface. You can’t be too clean, but you can be too aggressive.
Dr. Jay Rabinovich