pavandeep

I see many patients that have "toothbrush abrasion". This is what it looks like:

Let's look at the anatomy of a tooth!

You'll notice that the outer part of tooth is the "enamel". The enamel is hard and white, and it covers the dentin. Dentin, unlike enamel is soft and yellow. Enamel varies in thickness and gets thinner closer to the gums.
When people brush their teeth with a lot of pressure, or with a hard toothbrush, they start to irritate their gums. This causes the gums to pull away from the tooth and expose roots. Roots are not covered with enamel. The individual will become more sensitive to hot and cold, and roots are more vulnerable to cavities.
Over time, aggressively brushing your teeth can wear away the enamel on the tooth. Since the enamel layer is thinner closer to the gums that's the first part to go. If this happens notches will be made through the dentin. Again, this increases sensitivity and makes the tooth weaker.
Many Punjabis have been led to believe that brushing with a lot of pressure will get their teeth "cleaner". This isn't true. Also, many will only use a brush with hard bristles because they don't think a soft one will get their teeth clean. Again... not true.
You can compare brushing your teeth to washing your car. You'd want to use something soft and you wouldn't want to scrub really hard. Most people don't want to scratch the paint on their car. So why do that to your teeth?
When brushing your teeth, don't apply pressure towards your gums, use circular motions (not back and forth), and use a soft brush.
:)