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NewOrleansDentalCenterEverythingYouShouldKnowaboutToothbrushing

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NewOrleansDentalCenterNewsletterMarch,2011
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EverythingYouShouldKnowaboutToothbrushing
butDidntKnowtoAsk
Wevebeenbrushingourteethsincewewerelittlechildren,butdidanyoneever
actuallyteachyouhowtobrushandfloss?NoonetaughtmeIlearnedindental
school.Nowadays,inthedentaloffice,wegiveoralhygieneinstructionstochildren
andadultsalike,regardingbrushingandflossingtechniques.Dentistryhaschangedits
philosophy,overtheyears,onhowtobrush.Inouroffice,weareoftenaskedabout
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whichtoothpasteourpatientsshoulduse.Actually,thetypeoftoothbrushis
important,andthewayinwhichyouuseyourtoothpasteismuchmoreimportantthan
thetypeoftoothpasteyouuse!Herearesomerecommendationsofwhichyoumaynot
beaware.
Toothpasteismadeupofseveralingredients,eachofwhichhasapurpose.Ithas
detergents(surfactants)forcleaningandfoaming,thickenerstostayonthe
toothbrush,watersoftenerstomakethedetergentsworkbetter,flavoringsand
sweetenerstohidethetasteofotheringredients,abrasivestohelpinremovalof
plaqueandtheverybeginningsoftartar,and(usually)fluoridetostrengthenteeth
againstdecaycausingbacteria.Manytoothpastesalsohavetartarcontrol,
whitening,and/orplaquebacteriakillingingredients.Ifoundaninformativewebsite
page,ifyoureinterested,thatgivesamuchmoredetailedexplanationoftoothpaste
ingredients:www.scitoys.com/ingredients/toothpaste.
Bewareofadvertisingclaimsofvarioustoothpastes:
Tartaroccurswhendissolvedmineralsinthesalivaprecipitate(come)outand
becomeincorporatedintothesoftplaquethatsontheteeth.Themineralsharden
theplaqueintotartar,whichstickstotheteethverytenaciously,like
cement.Thatswhyyoucanbrushorflosstoremoveplaquebutnottartartartar
hastoberemovedbyinstrumentsatthedentistsoffice.Tartarcontrol
toothpastehasaningredientliketetrasodiumpyrophosphate,whichremoves
calciumandmagnesiumfromthesaliva,sotheycantcontributetotartar
formation.Itwontremovetartarthatalreadyexists!!Itonlyhelpstodecrease
theamountoftartarthatforms.

Whiteningtoothpastestendtobeespeciallymisleadingintheir
advertisements,inmyopinion.Whiteningtoothpastesusuallyhavesomethinglike
sodiumcarbonateperoxide,whichbreaksdownintohydrogenperoxide.Hydrogen
peroxidedoeshavesomebleachingproperties,buttheconcentrationisvery
weak,andtheamountoftimethetoothpastestaysontheteethprobablywont
causeanybleachingthatyouwillnotice.Ifyoulookatthefineprintonthe
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TVcommercialorthetoothpastebox,youwillusuallyseeitsayssomethinglike
whitensbyremovingsurfacestains.Iworrythatwhiteningtoothpastesmay
containharsherabrasives,andIllexplainthatworrylater.

Toothpasteseemstohavebecomealotmoreexpensivetome,recently.You
arewastingalotofmoneyeachyearifyou(oryourkids)usetheamountof
toothpastetheyshowincommercials.Ofcoursetheyshowthatmuchthemore
youuse(waste),themoremoneythemanufacturersmake!Ifthereisunused
toothpastethatyouvespitintoyoursinkwhenyourefinishedbrushing,youre
wastingit!
Mostpeopleneedtoworkontheirbrushingtechniques.Ifyouscrubwhenyou
brush,youwillcausethegumstorecede(moveuptherootofthetooth),whichwill
tendtoleadtosensitivityoftheexposedrootsurfacesoftheteeth(likewhenyou
drinksomethingcoldorgetyourteethcleaned).Inyoungpeople,veryminor
recessioncansometimesbereversed,ifitisveryrecent.Inmostpeople,recessionis
permanent.Thinkaboutitifthegumshavereceded,thatisanareawherebonehas
beenlost.Thebodywontallowyoutostripthegumsoffandleavetheboneexposed,
soitwillcausethebonetobedissolvedawayasthescrubbingpressurecausesthe
gumstorecede.Thatbonelossispermanentdamage.
Brushingshouldbeaverygentlemotion.Remember,teetharentflat.Theharder
youscrubaflatsurface,thecleanerittendstobe.Butteethareroundinshapeonthe
cheekandtonguesides,andtheyhavedelicategumtissuenexttothem.Themotion
tousewhenbrushingisSLOW,GENTLECIRCLES,aimingtowardthegumsbutNEVER
SCRUBBING.Wetendtobrushtoofast,usuallybecausewerethinkingofthemillion
otherthingsweneedtodo.Isuggesttrainingyourselftothinkonlyaboutbrushing
whileyourebrushing.Youwilldoabetterjobandnottakeanymoretime,ifyouare
mindfulofyourtechnique.Iknowitmakesyoufeelasifyouredoingabetterjob
whenyourescrubbing,butactually,youredoingaworsejob!Whenyouscrub,you
dontgivetimeforthebristlestowalkaroundandfollowtheroundedsurfacesofthe
teeth,soyouremissingsomeofthesurfacearea.Notonlythat,butwhenyouuse
pressuretobrush,youarelayingthebristlesdownontotheteeth,sothesidesofthe
bristlesrubagainsttheteethandgums.Ifgentlepressureisused,theTIPSofthe
bristlesarebeingused,whicharethepartofthebristlesthatdothecleaning!Thats
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whytoothbrushesarerecommendedtobechangedeverythreemonths.Thetipsof
thebristlesbecomefrayedanddontdoasgoodajobofcleaningafterthatamountof
use.Buytoothbrushesofthesoftvarietythisactuallymeansthatthebristlesbend
easierandcanthereforemovewellaroundtheshapeoftheteeth.Theharderthe
bristles,thestiffertheyare.Again,itfeelsasiftheycleanbetter,buttheyreactually
doingaworsejob.Mediumandhardtoothbrushesshouldbebanned.Peoplebuythem
becausetheydontknowanybetter.Ifyoureusedtousingamediumorhard
toothbrush,usingasoftbrushwilltakealittlegettingusedto,butIthinkitsworth
it.Orbetteryet,getasonicbrush.
Sonictoothbrushesarealwaysbetteratcleaningthanmanualtoothbrushes.Thishas
beenproveninstudiescomparingsonicbrushestomanualbrushesusedbythesame
patient.Theyvebeenaroundforseveralyears,andIhighlyrecommendthemfortwo
reasons.First,theyreallydocleanbetterthanamanualtoothbrush,becauseofthe
technologyinthebrush.(Iwasskeptical,untilItriedoneformyself!)Sonic(sound)
wavescomeoutofthebrushheadandtravelthroughwhateverliquid(water,
toothpaste,saliva)isonyourteethandblastawaywhateverbacteriathewaves
touch.Yourteethreallydofeelcleanerafteryouuseitthanwhenusingamanual
toothbrushbecausethesonicvibrationsgofartherunderthegumsandactuallyin
betweentheteeth,whereregulartoothbrushbristlescantreach.Sonicbrusheshave
beenshowninstudiestohelpreduceteethstaining(whichisactuallyathinlayerof
tartarthatbecomesstainedwithfoodsorcigarettesmoke)andtohelpindecreasing
theseverityofperiodontal(gum)disease.Second,Ipreferthesonictoothbrush
becauseitcantdamagetheteethorcausegumrecession,likeimpropermanual
brushingcan.Ifyoualreadyhaveareasofrecession(orabfractionsdugoutareas
oftherootsurfacesonthecheeksidesoftheteeth),itisveryimportanttoprevent
anyfurtherdamage.Wewilldiscussabfractionsinaseparatenewsletter.Afriendly
warning:sonictoothbrushestickle(alot!!)whenyoufirstusethemdontgiveupit
onlytookmeaboutthreetimesofusingitforthetickletogoaway.DONOTconfuse
sonictoothbrusheswithelectrictoothbrushes.Mostelectrictoothbrushes,inmy
opinion,havebristlesthataretoostiffandcouldthereforecausedamage(see
paragraphabove).
Forusingamanualtoothbrush,myrecommendationsforbrushingyourteethareas
follows:
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1)Placeagreenpeasizedamount(notmore!)oftoothpasteonyoursoft
toothbrush.
2)Brushthechewingsidesandthetongue/palatesidesofyourupperandlower
teeth.Youdonthavetoworrytoomuchabouttheamountofpressureyouusewhen
brushinghere,especiallyonthechewingsides.
3)Brushyourtonguewell.
4)Rinseyourmouth,brushyourtonguewithwaterafewtimes,andrinseallthe
toothpasteoffofyourbrush.
5)Withyourwettoothbrush,GENTLYANDSLOWLYbrushthecheeksidesofthe
teeth,usingsmallcirclesaimedatthegums.WhenIdothis,Ihangoverthesink
andwetthebrushafterbrushingeachquadrant,(upperright,upperleft,lowerleft,
lowerright),lettingthewaterrunoutofmymouthintothesink.
6)Rinseyourtoothbrushwell.
Followingthesestepswillhelpyoupreventany(orfurther)damagetotherootsof
yourteeth.
Ihopethishelpsyouandyourfamilyinyouroralcareefforts.Pleasecallusifyou
haveanyquestions.
PleasecallNewOrleansDentalCentertodayat504.347.6000toschedule
anexamination.

PastNewOrleansDentalCenterNewsletters

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NewOrleansDentalCenterEverythingYouShouldKnowaboutToothbrushing

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NewOrleansDentalCenter
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Harvey,LA70058
Phone:(504)3476000~Fax:(504)3676232
info@neworleansdentalcenter.com
FindusontheNewOrleansWebsiteDirectory

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