Dental Health Care

Proper dental care is the most effective way to live with happy smiles all life long

Taking care of your health also means taking care of your teeth so that you can have a happy smile. In addition to appearance and cavity prevention, however, studies have shown that neglecting your teeth could lead to various types of illness; including heart-related conditions.

Taking care of your teeth and gums is necessary in order to t to have good oral hygiene. Brushing can seem like a drag sometimes, however, and make you feel like a prisoner to your toothbrush. There are easy steps you can take to help yourself brush your teeth for longer periods. Before you know it, you just might not even remember when brushing seemed more like a chore than a way to keep your teeth and gums healthy for life.

Choosing the right toothbrush

Softer toothbrushes tend to be more effective because they are less likely to poke at gums while brushing teeth. Soft toothbrushes move around your gums, including in between the teeth more comfortably than medium or hard toothbrushes do. Those who like brushing with hard or medium toothbrushes could always alternate which firmness they use. Simply buy soft toothbrushes and hard toothbrushes. Alternatively, if you prefer, purchase soft toothbrushes and medium toothbrushes.

The ADA recommends replacing toothbrushes, no matter what kind you use, at least three or four times a year. This equates to approximately every three or four months. Replace frayed toothbrushes sooner than the recommended timeframe since bristles in disarray do insufficient jobs at cleaning teeth.
     

Choosing the best toothpaste

People with small mouths may have an even harder time trying to reach molars in the very back. This is one reason it is important to get the right size toothbrush for whomever is going to use it. In addition to toothbrush firmness, toothbrushes come with differing amounts of bristles. Some toothbrushes have more rows of bristles than do others. Some toothbrushes have more bristles per row than others do. Moreover, not all toothbrushes have the same sized handle.

Children tend to do better with toothbrushes with smaller handles as well as smaller bristle areas designed to accommodate smaller mouths. Bristles from soft toothbrushes move behind the backs of molars, including wisdom teeth more easily than hard or medium toothbrush bristles. This is because soft toothbrushes swipe easily compared to stiff medium weight toothbrushes and hard toothbrushes.

The importance of flossing

Flossing between teeth helps remove leftover food debris that can cause plaque and eventually lead to tooth decay. The kind of toothpaste used to clean teeth should be one accepted by the American Dental Association as effective against fighting gum disease. This is important because not using the best gum disease fighting toothpaste could instigate tooth problems even if you brush your teeth several times a day.

Toothpastes with fluoride helps keep teeth strong and protects the enamel that coats teeth in order to fight against tooth decay. The ADA recommends brushing teeth two times a day and flossing teeth at least once a day. You may find that wax coated floss tends to work more smoothly than un-waxed types. Waxed floss may become stuck between teeth less frequently than the un-waxed type. Use about 18 inches of floss each time to make sure you have enough for your entire mouth. Wrapping the floss around a finger in each hand helps to keep the floss secure as you slide it between your teeth.

Wiggling the floss back and forth a few times each time you insert it between sets of teeth helps force plaque and food bits from beneath the gum line.

Alternating toothbrushes

A good reason to alternate toothbrushes is that all toothbrushes do not work the same. One toothbrush may be great for removing plaque in the front of the mouth as well as along the sides of the mouth. Another type of toothbrush may be designed to fit behind molars toward the back of the mouth. Getting a toothbrush to fit behind the molars in the back can be especially trying, especially when attempting to clean wisdom teeth. The more teeth in your mouth, the more difficult it becomes to reach back molars.

Using a mouth rinse to fight cavities

As an alternative to flossing everyday, some people find using interdental cleaners an easier way to go. Interdental cleaners destroy cavity-forming germs left between teeth that toothbrushes cannot reach. Interdental cleaners may be easier for children to manage than daily flossing. Using liquid interdental cleaners (mouth rinses) in essence is akin to using mouthwash and merely requires swishing the liquid around in the mouth for a minute or so and then spitting it out. Interdental cleaners such as picks made out of wood or plastic, different types of brushes that reach between teeth, as well as thin sticks, require more work as well as more precision to clean between teeth.

Whether using dental floss or types of interdental cleaners, teeth will be healthier because you will be killing germs as well as removing plaque from between and beneath gums near lower areas of the teeth (gum lines).

Getting the most out of tooth brushing

It is a good idea to clean your tongue every time you brush your teeth. This is easy to do once dabbing your toothbrush with toothpaste and placing it in your mouth. Simply swipe your tongue a few times with your paste-covered toothbrush. Swiping the tongue from side to side or from back to front as well as utilizing a combination of these directions will remove quite a bit of unwanted germs. In addition, ridding germs from the tongue refreshes breath and awakens taste buds. This is noticeable within seconds of swiping the tongue with toothbrush bristles. All of a sudden, the toothpaste flavor seems tangier than it did before cleaning the tongue.

Devices other than toothbrushes can clean the tongue effectively. If preferring to use a tool other than a toothbrush, or if you want to use an additional device, you can try clean smooth, colorless, Popsicle sticks.

Proper brushing graphic at the ADA is great for teaching children how to hold toothbrushes at angles. The guide shows which directions to place toothbrushes in order to most effectively reach and clean different tooth areas. View proper tooth brushing diagrams HERE.

Benefits of massaging your gums

According to an article at Mothernature.com, "Richard Shepard, D.D.S., a retired dentist in Durango, Colorado" suggests massaging your gums with your fingers. According to the report, massaging your gums with your fingers improves blood circulation in the gum areas. Performing a finger massage simply requires squeezing the gums with an index finger and a thumb. Place the thumb behind your teeth and your finger in front of the teeth in order to get a good hold of your gums before beginning the massage.

Gums will eventually beg for massages because they get used to the feeling similar to your back, legs, shoulder, and other parts of the body. Gums will wind up urging the toothbrush to swipe against them from top to bottom side to side just as the left shoulder would urge for massaging after the right shoulder received the treatment. Certain it should not be neglected; the left shoulder would want a turn too.

Once gums get used to their massage, they begin craving the feeling whenever teeth are brushed. Next thing you know, you may begin brushing longer because it actually feels good and you want your gums to experience that feeling.

The type of toothbrush you use has a bearing on how satisfying gum massages will be. Then you will be able to give your gums a great massage in the morning and brush your teeth more aggressively with the firmer toothbrush later in the day if you alternate soft and medium or soft and hard toothbrushes.

Pros and cons of cosmetic dental bonding

Repairing teeth by way of cosmetic dental bonding promotes airs of confidence in patients who, prior to treatment, might have covered their mouths when they smiled because they felt too embarrassed to reveal their damaged teeth. This suggests that dental bonding works so well at renewing tooth flaws that hiding chips, cracks, stains, or other dental distortions could become actions of the past. Once treatment is complete, hiding unworthy smiles could transform into displaying bright pearly whites just for the sake of showing off. Just the same, however, as is the case with many physically rejuvenating procedures, cosmetic dental bonding has its own set of pros and cons patients should consider prior to undergoing the procedure.

Get more info before undergoing the procedure...

Cosmetic dental bonding is a process wherein dentists perform repairs by permanently sticking or bonding tooth-imitation materials to teeth, thus the phrase "dental bonding". Once attached to teeth, dentists use cements and...Read more here.

Periodontal Dental Disease Symptoms

 

Teeth that otherwise appear healthy could be lost due to periodontal disease. This is because periodontal disease attacks from beneath teeth where the infection is not easily detected. Despite occurring inside the mouth, persons with periodontal disease may not feel any pain. This does not mean that people with periodontal disease absolutely cannot tell they have it. 
Fortunately, there are detectable symptoms that warn patients t... Read more here 

Ways to Prevent Gum Disease

Preventing gum disease is a simple thing to do for most people and prevention does not take that much time. A little physical effort is necessary, however, since in order to prevent gum disease one must commit to cleaning their teeth on a daily basis. This means tasks such as brushing and flossing should...Read more here