Home Care
Home care is the most important aspect of good dental health. The simple objective in preventive dental care is to eliminate harmful bacteria from the teeth, the tongue and below the gumline. Most of us would like to accomplish this in the most effective and efficient manner possible.
Both beneficial and harmful bacteria inhabit the mouth in the form of dental plaque. Scientific studies have shown that the type of bacteria in plaque can change dramaticly from beneficial to harmful over a period of time. The more complete the bacterial plaque removal, either by periodic home care or professional care, the healthier the mouth will remain.
Plaque Removal
1. Tooth brushing is familiar to everyone. You try to remove dental plaque from all exposed tooth surfaces with either a manual or mechanical toothbrush.
2. Flossing reaches the surface between teeth and below the gum tissue where a toothbrush simply cannot reach.
3. Oral Rinses can be swished in the mouth or used in an oral irrigator such as a Waterpik*.
Note: Each technique is designed to remove plaque from a specific area of the mouth and does not replace any other technique.
Bad Breath
Bad breath is most commonly the result of bacterial plaque as well as their acid and toxin production. Effective plaque removal eliminates 80-90% of the cause of bad breath. Obvious exceptions include onions, garlic, tobacco and certain medications.
What We Recommend!
A good place to start when choosing any dental care product is to look for the ADA seal. This simply means that it has been tested and found effective for any "claims made in advertising". Non-tested products often make false claims. (eg. "Whiten your teeth 8 shades in 30 minutes")
Toothpaste: Colgate "Total" is currently the "best" toothpaste on the market because of a patented antibacterial ingredient triclosan. No other U.S. toothpaste contains this. It has sustained antibacterial action that can last up to 12 hours. Brush twice a day and greatly reduce harmful bacteria in the mouth.
Toothbrushes: Several brands are good in both manual and mechanical toothbrushes. Soft, rounded bristles in medium head toothbrushes made by Butler, POH, and Oral B are good for manual toothbrushes. Sonicare* is the mechanical toothbrush I use personally because it is both effective and usually long lasting. Studies have shown that many of the higher quality mechanical toothbrushes "are generally more effective by the average patient than a manual toothbrush". I have many "manual toothbrush users" in my practice with outstanding oral hygiene.
Floss: Flossing technique seems to be more important than brand. Waxed vs. unwaxed is a matter of personal preference. Unwaxed floss works best for me, but if you have tightly spaced teeth, unwaxed will not work at all. The most important thing is to gently work the floss between the teeth and carefully wrap it around a portion of the tooth as it is moved up and down below the gum tissue. (I've had "new patients" tell me; "I'm afraid to floss because I might pull out a filling or a crown." My reply is that "good fillings or crowns" don't come out with a little piece of floss.
Oral Rinses
Listerine* brand mouthwashes have been ADA tested and found to be the most effective "non-prescription" mouthwash. Find a flavor you like and use it when you brush and in between as a "breath freshener".
