What dental experts say about how you're brushing your teeth

Dutch dental experts creating a definitive oral care guide share science-backed tips: use electric brushes, pea-sized toothpaste, and consider interdental brushes.

Few people know more about the best way to clean your mouth than Dagmar Else Slot and Fridus van der Weijden. This Dutch dental duo has authored more than 100 research papers together, and now they’re attempting something especially ambitious: writing the definitive guide to cleaning your teeth and gums.

Slot, a dental hygienist, and van der Weijden, a dentist, have made this guide their life’s mission. They’ve been at it for 15 years, and they’re not done yet.

Dagmar Else Slot and Fridus van der Weijden have authored more than 100 research papers on oral health and the best ways to clean your teeth.Courtesy of Dagmar Else SlotThey say that in their decades of work, they’ve found that people often think they’re doing a good job with their dental hygiene, but in fact it’s quite subpar.

“It’s kind of supervised neglect,” Slot said. “Everybody brushes their teeth, but you probably learned how from your parents, and in the end nobody really learns it right. In almost 100% of cases, there is room for improvement.”

Along with a team of doctoral students, Slot and van der Weijden are combing through thousands of studies to create a science-based dental manifesto answering home-care dental questions: