When it comes to brushing your teeth, applying more pressure helps get your teeth as clean as possible, right? Wrong -- and you can even be doing your chompers some damage by cleaning them too hard, according to studies. Brushing too hard for too long--not to mention brushing improperly--can lead to problems like gum recession, periodontal disease and tooth sensitivity. Ouch!

Some tips:

• Make sure you use a soft-bristled tooth brush--ditch that hard or medium one pronto!
• Make sure you only brush your teeth for 2 minutes tops. Consider buying an electric toothbrush that will time it out for you.
  
• If you choose an non-electric brush, make sure you hold it at a 45-degree angle and brush up and down or in circles from the tip of the tooth right up to the gum line.