toothbrushing

1. 1
   noununcountable

   An act of cleaning the teeth with a brush.

   Regular toothbrushing helps prevent cavities and gum disease.

   Her dentist recommended thorough toothbrushing twice a day.

   Similarbrushing

   Note

   Here the word becomes a true noun that can be counted. Unlike the verb form, it takes a plural, so dentists can recommend several toothbrushings per day. Without an article, as in regular toothbrushing or thorough toothbrushing, it names the habit in general. With a number or a word like several, it counts separate sessions at the sink.

2. 2
   verb

   Present participle and gerund of toothbrush.

   Regular toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste reduces tooth decay.

   The study found that toothbrushing before bed mattered most for preventing cavities.

   Note

   An -ing form that does double duty: after be it makes progressive tenses, and as a gerund it fills noun slots as subject or object. The verb is transitive, so it can take a direct object (toothbrushing the dog, toothbrushing a toddler's teeth), though it often appears without one. Do not confuse it with the countable noun, which shares the spelling but behaves like an ordinary noun.

   He spent ten minutes toothbrushing the dog before the vet visit.

   Toothbrushing a toddler takes patience and a sense of humor.

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