你每天都在刷牙 到底刷对了没？

 　　It's not exactly a newsflash that one of the most important reasons to brush your teeth is to fight off cavities (not to mention prevent bad breath). But what if the way you brush your teeth actually makes you more susceptible¹ to cavities, tooth decay and gum disease? Scary.

　　刷牙的最重要原因是拒绝虫牙（别再说是预防口臭），这已经不是新闻了。但是要是你刷牙的方式实际上更容易让你的牙齿蛀牙，产生牙齿蛀蚀和得牙龈疾病呢？这就很可怕了。

　　Turns out, there are a host of common mistakes that many of us make morning and night that can damage teeth and turn a healthy smile upside-down. Find out what you're doing wrong -- and how to break these bad habits for better teeth.

　　事实证明，我们在早晚刷牙中会犯很多普遍的错误伤害我们的牙齿，让我们的微笑都打上了不健康的记号。找出你错在哪里—然后为了让牙齿更健康，应该怎么丢掉这些恶习。

　　1.You don't brush for long enough.

　　1.你刷牙时间不够。

　　Most dentists recommend brushing for two or three minutes, but few people ever make it to that. Next time, check your watch to see how long your routine takes.

　　大多数的牙医都建议人们刷牙要刷两到三分钟，但是很少有人能做到。下一次，盯着手表看看你花了多少时间。

　　2.You're not watching what you're doing.

　　2.并未专注自己在干什么

　　Make a point to look in the mirror while you brush your teeth and see where the brush is actually going. It's easy to miss the area right at the gum line, which is the most important part.

　　在刷牙的时候，对着镜子注意一下你的牙刷刷在了什么地方。我们很容易漏刷牙龈那一部分，这是最重要的一部分。

　　你每天都在刷牙 到底刷对了没？

　　3.Your technique needs a major makeover.

　　3.你的刷牙方法需要有大改变。

　　Hold the brush so the bristles² are at a 45-degree angle to the surface of the teeth and brush in small circles. Focus on a few teeth at once, then move on to the next set, continuing around from one side to the other, top and bottom, front and back. It's okay to brush in straight lines on the chewing surfaces. After completing your circles, brush away from the gum line to clear off loosened plaque³ and bacteria.

　　手握着牙刷，让其同牙齿表面成45°角，以打小圈的方式刷。起先小范围的刷，然后移动到下一个区域，继续从一边移到另一边刷，上下，前后。在牙齿的咀嚼面成直线刷也是可以的。在完成循环刷以后，刷掉分布在牙龈线上的牙龈斑和细菌。

　　4.You're brushing too hard.

　　4.你刷牙太用力了。

　　The chances of enamel⁴ breakage are greater when you brush too hard.

　　刷牙力气过大更容易损伤你的牙釉质。

　　5.You're using the wrong brush.

　　5.你用错了牙刷。

　　Be sure to buy soft or ultrasoft brushes to minimize damage. Electric toothbrushes are great tools if they help you brush longer and get you to the right places.

　　确保你使用的是柔软的或超软的牙刷，这样能使损伤降到最低。如果电动牙刷能帮助你刷的更久，并且刷对了位置，那么它就是最好的。

　　6.You have the wrong toothpaste.

　　6.你用错了牙膏。

　　Baking soda⁵ toothpastes are good at getting stains out because they are abrasive⁶ -- but that also means they're hard on enamel.

　　小苏打牙膏能很容易把污渍刷出来是因为它们有研磨作用—但是这也意味着它们比较坚硬会伤害牙釉质。

　　你每天都在刷牙 到底刷对了没？

　　7.You're failing at flossing.

　　7.你不会用牙线清理。

　　Start with a full foot of floss, twirling the ends around the middle finger on each hand. Use your thumb and forefinger⁷ to gently work the floss between two teeth, being careful not to pull it roughly or saw it back and forth⁸, both of which can injure the gum. Wrap the floss around one tooth and wipe up and down to loosen and remove plaque. Then do the same on the next tooth and repeat.

　　开始用一段牙线，将线的两段缠在左右手中指上。用你的食指和拇指轻轻地在两齿之间拨动牙线，小心一点不要太粗鲁或前后牵动，这样会伤害到牙龈。将牙线缠在牙齿上，上下前后拉动，清除附着在牙齿上的菌斑。然后换旁边的牙齿，重复相同的动作。

　　8.You don't rinse⁹ after.

　　8.刷完牙后未冲洗。

　　Effective brushing and flossing unbind bacteria-laden plaque from the surface of teeth. Rinsing¹⁰ afterward¹¹ is a key step to make sure that bacteria leave your mouth for good.

　　有效的刷牙和使用牙线能使细菌斑快速从牙齿表面脱离。在洗完后再次漱口是很关键的一步，确保细菌已从嘴里离开。

1 susceptible   

adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的

参考例句：

• Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
• We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。

2 bristles   

短而硬的毛发，刷子毛( bristle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the bristles on his chin 他下巴上的胡楂子
• This job bristles with difficulties. 这项工作困难重重。

3 plaque   

n.饰板，匾，(医)血小板

参考例句：

• There is a commemorative plaque to the artist in the village hall.村公所里有一块纪念该艺术家的牌匾。
• Some Latin words were engraved on the plaque. 牌匾上刻着些拉丁文。

4 enamel   

n.珐琅，搪瓷，瓷釉；(牙齿的)珐琅质

参考例句：

• I chipped the enamel on my front tooth when I fell over.我跌倒时门牙的珐琅质碰碎了。
• He collected coloured enamel bowls from Yugoslavia.他藏有来自南斯拉夫的彩色搪瓷碗。

5 soda   

n.苏打水；汽水

参考例句：

• She doesn't enjoy drinking chocolate soda.她不喜欢喝巧克力汽水。
• I will freshen your drink with more soda and ice cubes.我给你的饮料重加一些苏打水和冰块。

6 abrasive   

adj.使表面磨损的；粗糙的；恼人的

参考例句：

• His abrasive manner has won him an unenviable notoriety.他生硬粗暴的态度让他声名狼藉。
• She had abrasions to her wrists where the abrasive rope had scraped her.她的手腕有多出磨伤，那是被粗糙的绳子擦伤的。

7 forefinger   

n.食指

参考例句：

• He pinched the leaf between his thumb and forefinger.他将叶子捏在拇指和食指之间。
• He held it between the tips of his thumb and forefinger.他用他大拇指和食指尖拿着它。

8 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

9 rinse   

v.用清水漂洗，用清水冲洗

参考例句：

• Give the cup a rinse.冲洗一下杯子。
• Don't just rinse the bottles. Wash them out carefully.别只涮涮瓶子，要仔细地洗洗里面。

10 rinsing   

n.清水，残渣v.漂洗( rinse的现在分词 )；冲洗；用清水漂洗掉（肥皂泡等）；（用清水）冲掉

参考例句：

• Pablo made a swishing noise rinsing wine in his mouth. 巴勃罗用酒漱着口，发出咕噜噜噜的声音。 来自辞典例句
• The absorption of many molecular layers could be reestablished by rinsing the foils with tap water. 多分子层的吸附作用可用自来水淋洗金属箔而重新实现。 来自辞典例句

11 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。