Science says people who use non dominant hand to brush teeth, have found a way to exercise brain and improve creativity that costs nothing

Ditch all the brain training apps that cost a bomb, as science says one habit that costs nothing and takes about two minutes can improve your thinking skills. Brushing your teeth with your left hand (or non-dominant hand) can be more than a quirk. It can also improve your cognitive abilities if scientists are to be believed. According to an article named ‘Neuroplasticity Exercise: Try Brushing Your Teeth With Non-Dominant Hand’ published in the International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation, left-handed people have neuroanatomical advantages; left-handers may have neuroanatomical advantages in performing visuospatial and gross visuomotor tasks. It encourages us to think, it balances our bodies, and it can improve creativity and also help us become more open-minded.

This habit also encourages neuroplasticity, aka the brain’s ability to form neural connections throughout our lifetimes. The word 'neuroplasticity' brings together two parts: 'neuro' means related to neurones, which are the special cells in the brain and nervous system, and 'plasticity' means the brain can change, adjust, and stay flexible over time.

Dr Rudraprosad Chakraborty, a senior resident at the Ranchi Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Allied Sciences, explains that recent studies on neuroplasticity show that various types of stimulation can affect the number of brain cells and change how neurones connect with each other. Studies in this area have also found that the brain isn't something that's set in stone. Instead, it works as a lively and always-changing web of brain connections that can grow a lot when the right conditions are in place.


The brain, therefore, is not an organ that is fully finished and stops growing once a certain age is reached. It can keep changing and rearranging itself. Such changes can also affect how some organs work. For example, changes in the brain can influence how the visual system works and might help improve function after an injury or other types of damage.

Doing regular activities that challenge the brain can help create new connections in the brain and make it work in new ways to process information. These exercises can also help improve thinking skills and creativity, and they can inspire people to try new habits and ways of looking at things.

A simple example is trying to brush your teeth using the hand that isn't your dominant one. A job that usually doesn't need much thinking suddenly feels really tough when you try doing it with the other hand. The brain might naturally want to go back to the usual way of moving, which could make someone feel like using their regular hand again. This happens because when you do the same activities over and over, they create strong connections in your brain, and eventually, your brain starts doing them on its own without you thinking about it.

Because brushing teeth with the dominant hand is something we do a lot, the brain can do it with very little thought. Switching hands takes away that feeling of knowing and makes the brain work to create a new way of moving. Doing the same unfamiliar activities over and over can help break down old brain pathways and make the brain create and improve new ones. These exercises can also help keep the mind active and spark new ideas.

Can It Prevent Dementia?

According to an article published on Yahoo Health, citing a 2023 article published in Brain Communications, it claimed that while it may support cognitive exercise, it is not enough to reduce dementia risk. It should be supported with exercise, a good diet and strong heart health to prevent brain ageing.