The OPTISMILE Podcast 117 - The Brushing Masterclass

eRadio SA · Jul 20, 2026 · 23m

Introduction

Brushing is the one dental habit almost everyone believes they have already mastered, which is precisely why it goes uncorrected for decades. In this episode Dr Clifford Yudelman takes apart the assumption, and the picture that emerges is counterintuitive: the patients who brush hardest are often the ones with the most damage to show for it.

The through-line is that force is the enemy and angle is the answer. Plaque causes disease in a specific place - the small sulcus where gum meets tooth - and a brush held flat and scrubbed vigorously never reaches it, while steadily abrading…