There's no way that you can go wrong with dental hygiene, right? All you need to do is brush and floss. Unfortunately, those two steps aren't enough. If you're brushing but still suffering from toothache and other dental problems, you may be making some common mistakes. Here are the dental hygiene errors to stop making.

Brushing Too Hard

The blood from your mouth may not just be due to gum disease. You may be doing some damage to your gums because of your brushing. Brushing hard doesn't help get the plaque off your teeth. It cuts the gums and can lead to them receding. This exposes your teeth roots, causing tooth decay and other issues in the future. The same can happen if you brush for too long or too often throughout the day.

Not Brushing Long Enough

Showing your teeth the toothbrush isn't going to do anything to fight off tooth decay. Most dentists agree that you should brush your teeth for at least two minutes, according to Colgate. Longer than this could cause some damage to your gums, as already covered.

If you have children, help them brush their teeth and encourage them to brush for the full two minutes. You can use a timer in the bathroom. Some electronic toothbrushes are now timed to vibrate every 30 seconds to help make sure you brush for a long enough period.

Brushing as Soon as You Eat

You've had something acidic or sweet. You may think that now is the perfect time to brush, but this isn't actually the case. Give your mouth enough time to produce the saliva needed to remove the bacteria and acid from the teeth. Brushing right away will just spread the sugar and acid around your mouth, doing more damage to your teeth. You can even brush the sugar into the gaps of the teeth, damaging the enamel further.

Getting the Wrong Toothbrush

Toothbrushes come with different sized heads and length of bristles. Getting the right one for your mouth is important. If you have to open your mouth wide to make the toothbrush fit, you're not going to clean your teeth effectively. It should be comfortable and easy to hold.

Likewise, avoid bristles that are too hard for the gums. This will do the same damage as brushing too hard.

Simply brushing and flossing your teeth isn't good enough. You may still end up with toothache and dental problems, because you've made the mistakes mentioned above. Visit your dentist regularly and find out the steps you need to take to look after your mouth.