Dental Care at Home

Clean Teeth

Why should I floss every day?

How often should I have my teeth cleaned?

Which is the best toothbrush?

Does tartar-control toothpaste really work?

Why should I floss every day?
Tooth decay and gum disease are caused by bacteria that stick to your teeth. Flossing your teeth correctly helps to remove these bacteria before they can cause cavities and gum disease. However, if you wait longer than 24 hours to floss again, bacteria will re-attach to your teeth, so daily flossing is a must. To floss correctly, guide the floss around the edges of your teeth and between your teeth and gums.
Click here for more on flossing.

How often should I have my teeth cleaned?
If you have healthy teeth and gums, you should have them cleaned every six months. If you have gum problems, have your teeth cleaned every three to four months.

Which toothbrush is the best?
A toothbrush should have soft, rounded bristles; medium, firm and hard bristles damage your gums. The head should be the correct size for your mouth, and the handle should feel comfortable in your hand. While some manufacturers would have you believe that power toothbrushes can perform tooth-cleaning miracles, research by Consumer Reports magazine showed that nothing at home cleans better than a plain, manual toothbrush and dental floss. Be sure to replace your toothbrush every three months.

Do tartar-control toothpastes really work?
These toothpastes can slow the formation of tartar, a hard, decay-producing film on your teeth. However, some people say that these toothpastes cause a burning sensation and/or make their teeth feel more sensitive. If this is true for you, change brands or stop using this kind of toothpaste. As with other toothpastes, don't use too much. A pea-sized dab is all you really need.

Click bellow to learn more about toothpaste.
What is that Stuff in My Toothpaste?

Brush Up on Tooth "Whiteners" and Power Brushes

Is Your Toothpaste Inviting Canker Sores?

 

What IS that Stuff in my Toothpaste?

Looking at the label on most toothpastes, it would seem that you need an advanced degree in biochemistry to decipher the ingredient names. Propylene glycol, sodium bicarbonate, sodium pyrophosphate, anhydrous dicalcium phosphate and dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate, are you sure you want to put this stuff in your mouth?

Fear not. Here's an explanation of which ingredients do what in various types of toothpaste:

 

Hydrogen peroxide is one of the few ingredients actually proven to whiten teeth. It is in essence a bleach; H.P. is found in the kits dentists can prescribe to bleach your teeth, as well as in over-the-counter bleaching kits. The American Dental Association advises that you should bleach your teeth only under the recommendation and supervision of your dentist.

 

Sodium bicarbonate sounds high-tech, but it's actually nothing more than old-fashioned baking soda. Its function in toothpaste is questioned by the ADA, although some dentists say it can help to remove coffee and food stains from your teeth. It's a mild abrasive, so it scours your teeth, helping to eliminate plaque. And it does make your teeth feel clean and smooth. So if it gets you to brush your teeth regularly, it's a good thing.

 

Other abrasives you'll often find in toothpastes are dicalcium phosphate, kaolin, bentonite, silica and calcium carbonate (chalk).

 

Sodium pyrophosphate is the active ingredient normally found in tartar-control toothpaste. It has been shown to prevent the formation of plaque when used regularly. However, once tartar hardens to your teeth, it can't be removed at home. Only a professional cleaning will get rid of it.

 

Propylene glycol is a humectant, an ingredient that keeps the toothpaste moist, and prevents the solid and liquid ingredients from separating. Other common humectants in toothpaste are sorbitol, pentatol and glycerol.

 

Dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate is a surfactant, a detergent-type ingredient that causes toothpaste to foam in your mouth. You may also see ingredients such as sodium stearyl fumarate and sodium lauryl sulfate; some believe SLS induces canker sores in people sensitive to this ingredient. As with any product, if its use causes discomfort, stop using it and consult your dentist or doctor.

 

Sodium saccharin is the least-expensive sweetener, so it's the one you are most likely to see in most toothpastes. It is 600 times sweeter than table sugar, so only a small amount is used to sweeten your toothpaste. Other common toothpaste sweeteners are aspartame and ammoniated diglyzzherizins.

 

Desensitizing ingredients are used in toothpastes specially formulated for sensitive teeth. Strontium chloride and potassium nitrate are the two ingredients recognized by the ADA to reduce discomfort if your teeth are sensitive to hot or cold foods. How do they work? They block the transmission of pain to the nerves in your teeth. They don't work immediately, though; it takes 4-6 weeks for these ingredients to desensitize your teeth.

 

Triclosan is an antibacterial agent that was recently approved for use in toothpaste by the FDA. It's been used for years as the active ingredient in antibacterial soaps, lotions, sponges and cutting boards. In toothpaste, triclosan has been clinically proven to fight gingivitis, gum disease, in adults by inhibiting the growth of plaque-causing bacteria. Colgate Total, manufactured and distributed by Colgate-Palmolive Co., is the only toothpaste that currently contains the disinfectant triclosan. Other toothpaste manufacturers are expected to follow suit, but since triclosan is considered a drug, all toothpastes that contain it will have to obtain FDA approval before going on the market.

Mayo Clinic dentist Philip J. Sheridan said, "When it comes to choosing a toothpaste, antibacterial, tartar control, desensitizing, baking soda, my advice is, unless you have special needs, just go with one you like but make sure it contains fluoride. The 'extras' are nice but not really a necessity for most people."

"No toothpaste can replace good oral hygiene and regular visits to a dentist," Dr. Sheridan said.

Power Toothbrushes Zap Plaque!

Two minutes. It's really not that long, but when you're brushing your teeth, it can seem like an eternity. So what do you do? You finish up brushing before the two minutes are up, and you don't clean your teeth as thoroughly as you should.

In fact, in a survey conducted in 1998, most dentists reported that the majority of their patients weren't brushing properly, and they weren't brushing long enough. This means that plaque—a combination of destructive bacteria, food residue and saliva—is left on your teeth, increasing the chance that you'll develop gum disease.

Power toothbrushes can help to solve this problem. Technology has produced new ergonomic designs and bristle motions that rotate, oscillate and emit sonic vibrations. They're also lots more fun to use than a plain old manual toothbrush, so it's more likely that you'll brush as often and as long as you should.

Fun aside, power brushes provide more effective plaque removal, which lowers your risk for developing gum disease and tooth decay. They also provide more gentle brushing, as users tend not to press a power toothbrush as firmly against the gums; gentler brushing means less wear and tear on the gums and tooth enamel. A study comparing the Braun Oral-B oscillating/rotating power toothbrush to a manual toothbrush found that the group using the power toothbrush experienced significantly less bleeding of their gums, probably due to a reduced brushing force and the rounded shape of the power toothbrush's bristles.

Power brushes are also easier to use because the brush head is typically smaller than that of a manual brush, so it's easier to maneuver it around your mouth. Since they move over your teeth with precise, repetitive motion, more plaque is removed with a power toothbrush than with a manual toothbrush. And because it's more fun to use—for both adults and children—it's more likely that you'll brush regularly and for a long enough period of time!

Another bonus of a power toothbrush: they're a gadget. They make noise. They are, in essence, power tools. And if they help to keep your mouth cleaner and healthier, everyone wins!

Health and Well-Being

Is Your Toothpaste Inviting Canker Sores?

An ingredient in most toothpastes, sodium lauryl sulfate or SLS, is used to help mix ingredients in toothpaste and to create that foaming action you've come to expect when you brush your teeth. SLS opponents say that this ingredient dries out the protective mucus lining in the mouth, making it vulnerable to irritants that can lead to canker sores.

SLS's relationship to canker sores was investigated in a preliminary study conducted by two doctors in Oslo, Norway. They reported a 60 to 70 percent reduction in the number of canker sores in patients who used SLS-free toothpaste for three months.

But another study tells a different story.

In January 1999, a research team from the Department of Oral Medicine and Periodontology of St. Bartholomew's in London compared the effects of toothpastes with and without SLS. This study group was nearly five times larger than the group in the Norwegian study. This study concluded: "SLS-free dentifrice [toothpaste] had no significant effect on ulcer [canker sore] patterns in the study group."

But there's nothing preventing you from giving the SLS-free toothpastes a try. To be fair, even scientific, you should conduct your own "study" for three months. See how SLS affects your canker sores. Here are a few SLS-free toothpastes on the market:

 

Rembrandt Canker Prevention
 

Macleans Sensitive
 

Retardent Toothpaste
 

Biotene Dry Mouth Toothpaste