Its BAAAAACK: Helpful Hygiene Tips

Ok, so not so much, really....
But as a dental hygienist AND a friend, i have GOT to recommend that everyone go and get THIS fabulous stuff!

Its Reach Total Care and get this...

its STRETCHY!!!!!

and my favorite kind is the PURPLE kind (its minty).

Who DOESNT want to use purple, Stretchy floss each night?! Honestly, its interesting. So go get some!
And prepare for your healthiest smile yet! Your hygienist may fall out of her rollie chair at your next visit, but hey, just consider that payback for all the times she hurt you in the past :-)

Have fun flossing! And.... you're welcome :-)

Helpful Hygiene Tips: Dexterity Issues

Dexterity can be an issue for lots of people for lots of reasons. I know very few men who find it easy to floss. Simply put, their fingers are just not nimble enough!

And then there are issues for the elderly: arthritis, parkinson's disease, etc...

And the oh so common broken hand or wrist or finger.

So! How can you keep your mouth (and therefore your body!) healthy in times like this? Or how can you help your family member who is suffering from debilitating arthritis take care of themselves? Here are just a couple of tips:

1. Buy an electric toothbrush. There are lots out there. In choosing one be sure of 2 things: its rechargeable and it has a built in timer. The Oral B Vitality is my favorite inexpensive brush! (around $20! and will last a couple of years!)

2. For anyone suffering with arthritis, try this cheap trick: buy a tennis ball, cut an X on opposite ends of the ball and stick your toothbrush handle through. It makes for a simple fix for someone who cant hold a thin handle!

3. Buy a water pick. A water pick will NOT remove as much plaque as flossing, but its better than nothing :-)

Nutrition next week :-) Get ready to learn how what you eat impacts your teeth/gums!

Helpful Hygiene Tips: Whitening

First off, i'm sorry for the hiatus! We've been on vacation and dealing with illness around the house. But I'll try hard (even with the holidays!) to do my best to give at least a quick tip each Sat!

Whitening... I get oh so many questions about this. Constantly.

Its interesting, the idea of whitening. 30 years ago, people were quite content with the color of their teeth, it seemed. The idea of preventative dentistry was not "new" to everyone, but in more remote areas (even like the one i grew up in) it was still something to work towards and the dental profession was making attempts to educate children in schools by offering fluoride treatments, exams, etc. Healthy mouths was the goal.

Fast forward 15 years to the mid 90's. Preventative dentistry was widely accepted and no longer was it true that people only went to the dentist when a tooth hurt. But at this point while most people were enjoying healthy smiles, their focus shifted to the appearance of their smile. Cosmetic dentistry was born. The days of whiter, brighter smiles had begun.

And to be quite honest with you, I think its gone too far. When i first started my career as a dental assistant in 1999, the average shade of peoples teeth was called "A2". On a shade guide, there were only 2 colors lighter so A2 was quite light.

Today, most people who have whitened no longer are able to be identified as a shade on a "normal" shade guide. We now have "Bleach" shade guides! So interesting.

So when people ask me "do you think my teeth are yellow", my response is always this: "unless you have whitened your teeth, i guarantee you that your teeth are yellow, as are mine, because thats the way God made them". Remember that diagram from a few weeks back? The second layer of the tooth is called "Dentin" and its yellow (or brownish or grayish). The color of the dentin shows through the enamel. How much of it shows through is dependent on the opacity of the enamel. And yes, people do have different color hue's as well. Some people have grayish teeth, or brownish, or yellowish. But we all have a color.

Ok, so onto the "how" of whitening and products to choose from. History lesson over :-)

First off, yellowish colored teeth lighten the easiest. Grayish take the longest and are the most stubborn. Often times, a grayish color is caused by taking an antibiotic called tetracycline as a child, when the teeth are forming. This was a common antibiotic offered in the 50's and 60's but is no longer given to children or pregnant women. Brownish coloration is not as common, but is more in the middle in terms of difficulty in lightening.

Products:
1. Over the Counter

• Advantages: price, ease of accessability
• Disadvantages: strength of whitening product is limited by FDA/ADA so efficiency is limited, comfort of product varies as it is not a custom product
• Example: Crest white strips
• Works best for: people who only want to lighten a little, people with very straight teeth (particularly people who have recently undergone orthodontia [braces]).

I've only tried a few otc products and Crest White Strips are by far my favorite. Having said that, i still dont like them much. Keep in mind that I'm a hygienist so i'm a bit of a "snob" when it comes to products. Anyone who has ever used custom trays are not going to like the otc products nearly as much. But that doesnt mean they arent good. You just have to have realistic expectations of the results you will get. Any otc product is going to be the same whitening ingredient as a professional whitening kit (carbomide peroxide) but at a lower concentration. Hence, it will take longer to see results, but you will see them. Eventually.

2. Professional Whitening Systems

• Advantages: very effective, comfortable
• Disadvantages: cost, ease of accessability
• Examples: Custom Trays, 1 hour systems such as "Zoom"
• Works best for: Adults (no teens), people with malalignments (crooked teeth), any color teeth

Professionally made custom trays are what I use. I prefer them, even over the "zoom" because of one thing: sensitivity. ALL whitening agents cause sensitivity, but the more intense the treatment, the more sensitivity you will experience. My teeth are already generally sensitive so there's no way i could ever do zoom. I would not make a good candidate. It is, however, very effective. Keep in mind, however, that even with the one hour whitening systems you will need to "touch up" from time to time, therefore you will still need custom trays (unless you plan to pay for and repeat the process every so often). With the custom trays, you will still experience sensitivity, but the advantage to them (as well as the otc strips) is that YOU control how sensitive they get because you can take a break. For example, in our office we recommend that you wear the custom trays nightly for 3-4 hours for approximately 2 weeks. (Of course, if your teeth are still darker than you prefer you can quit early or if they are as light as you'd like after a week, you can stop!). But if your teeth are sensitive you may want to choose to skip nights or not do tops and bottoms at the same time, etc. Its up to you. You can control how sensitive your teeth get. On the contrary, with the one hour whitening systems, your teeth will be as light as they will get when you leave the office. Unfortunately, they will probably be as sensitive as they can get, also.
I dont mean to say that zoom is bad. Not at all. Its just not for everyone. But if your teeth are not normally sensitive, or if they are pretty dark, then zoom (or another 1 hour system) may be the perfect product for you!

The best thing to do if you have questions about your specific situation is to seek a professional's opinion.

Ok, folks... feel free to ask ?'s, as always!

Helpful Hygiene Tips: Why teeth are sensitive!

Most of us have experienced the pain of going for a sip of a nice cold glass of water only to cringe as it passes over our teeth. And how many of us can actually bite into an ice cream? Not many.

The fact is, sensitivity is one of the most common complaints I hear in the dental office. People come in all the time just certain that they have a cavity because when they eat something sweet, this one tooth hurts. And while it is true that decay can be the culprit, often it is nothing more than a simple explanation with little to no treatment required.

First off, we should all understand how we feel hot and cold with our teeth.

On the diagram below, note the striated (lined) appearance of the enamel (the top layer of the tooth that we all see) and the dentin (the second layer). Teeth, under a microscope, actually have tiny channels that look similar to a honeycomb. These channels are how we "feel" with our teeth.


And as you can see, the "pulp cavity" is in the middle. The pulp is actually the part of the tooth where the nerves and blood supply live. And it is those nerves that "feel" the hot and cold that the tiny channels transmit.

So, back to why our teeth are sensitive. Our teeth actually form from the chewing surface down to the tip of the root. So the enamel forms first and then the dentin. The middle (which starts off huge and gradually shrinks as the dentin develops) is always nerves and blood supply. So the "younger" a tooth is, the less protection the nerve has from the outside world. This is why more mature (aka: older) individuals can chow down with confidence on their favorite popsicle while the less mature (aka: younger) folks do so with some hesitation :-).

The most common issue that causes sensitivity is called recession. This is where the gum has receded and the root surface is exposed. This is so incredibly common. Recession is most commonly caused by overly vigorous brushing and unfortunately, once a gum has receded, it will not grow back. Root surface is covered with cementum, a softer, very porous type of tissue that allows even more transmission of feeling. In fact, root exposures are often sensitive to even brush. These areas are also sensitive to sweets, making people think they may have a cavity.

Some toothpastes can cause sensitivity, as well. Shocking, right?! But true, none the less. Specifically, tarter control pastes and whitening pastes can be the culprit. They are both generally far more abrasive than other pastes therefore leaving the patient with some noticeable sensitivity. In general, unless a patient is a HEAVY tarter builder, i do not recommend tartar control pastes for this very reason. And just fyi, folks, whitening pastes are not going to actually whiten your teeth. They will (through heavy abrasion) remove surface stains, but they will not whiten.

Lastly, a highly acidic diet can cause sensitivity. I have patients from time to time who complain that their teeth have never been sensitive before but that "all of a sudden" they've noticed a good bit of sensitivity. Often times when we discuss their nutrition I find out that they are dieting and eating a lot of salads with vinegar based dressings.

In each of the cases we've talked about, the sensitivity can be combated with a sensitivity toothpaste. My favorite is colgate for sensitive teeth or crest for sensitive teeth (both in the "original" formula as they also both come with "Sensitivity plus whitening"... a little ironic). Sensodyne also works quite nicely, but I am a little cheap and don't want to pay for the name brand of sensodyne :-) Plus, its not my favorite in the taste department.

Fluoride is also VERY helpful in fighting off sensitivity. ACT fluoride rinse is available otc and comes in a variety of flavors for adults and kids! Very affordable, too.

And lastly, keeping plaque off of your teeth is a must when combating sensitive teeth. Plaque is very acidic and therefore causes or at least contributes to sensitive teeth.

So there you go, folks. Mystery solved :-) But in ANY case of prolonged sensitivity, please consult with your dentist to make sure that there are no more serious culprits, like decay. This is also something your hygienist can discuss with you at your regular checkups (every 6 months!) to make sure that there are no other more specific products that may be appropriate for you!

And if you dont already have a regular hygienist, i'm available :-) And would love to take care of you! You can check out the website of my dental office by clicking HERE! And as always, feel free to leave a comment with any questions or suggestions!

Helpful Hygiene Tips: Products I love!

There are a few products that help me stay in tip top smiling shape. And i thought i'd share in case anyone's interested!

First, I simply cannot live without my Oral B Triumph. I love how clean it makes my teeth feel and how I can use it while I'm preggo and not flossing (gasp! yes, i skip flossing in one of the most important times to floss... I'm sick, peeps. Give me a break!) and my gums stay in decent shape.
This brush is NOT cheap, though. It'll run well over $100 at any store! TIP: most electric toothbrushes are a little messy (they splatter toothpaste!) so i keep mine in the shower and just use it in there for the morning and then my manual (oral b crossaction) at night.
But for any patient who I feel can benefit from an electric toothbrush, I recommend the Oral B vitality. An almost equally fabulous brush, but without all the technology, therefore it is priced at a MUCH lower price point. Closer to $25. Now we're talking.
In any case, the things you want to look for in ANY electric brush would be 1. Rechargable 2. Small brush head and 3. A two minute timer. Both of these meet all of those requirements.

Next on my "must have's" list would be these little gems. Butler/GUM's softpicks. They are a flexible plastic that you use kind of like a toothpick instead of floss. Yes, i said instead of floss. Music to some of your ears, i'm sure :-) They are not quite as effective as flossing, but they are WAY better than not cleaning between your teeth at all. While I"m pregnant, these are what i try to use.

I also am in looooove with Crest Pro-Health rinse. It is equally as effective as listerine but without the burn of alcohol. (*side note: listerine's active ingredients are 4 essential oils and the alcohol is simply what keeps the oils mixed. but the alcohol itself is NOT the alcohol.) It comes in a "day" and "night" solution. TIP: they are exactly the same. EXACTLY. It's a gimmic to try to get consumers to by two bottles. (same with the pro-health toothpaste. the same exact paste in a different package). I like the night time best b/c its clear and I prefer the clear for whatever reason.



Finally, my absolute FAVORITE toothpaste is Colgate sensitive. Any sensitive toothpaste seems to work fine for me (except aquafresh sensitive, which is odd b/c aquafresh is made by glaxo-smith-kelin... the same makers of sensodyne!) so I buy whatever is most cost effective. TIP: toothpaste is not really necessary at all. So dont get caught up in which one is "best". Toothpaste is like soap. It makes you smell better and feel better. But its the actual toothbrush (washcloth) that cleans you. Find one that you like the taste of that you dont have any adverse reactions to and go for it. If your teeth are sensitive, avoid whitening toothpastes and tartar control pastes as they will increase sensitivity. Otherwise, find what you like.
Well, thats about it for my must have's. What products can you not live without?!

Helpful Hygiene Tips: Getting kids to brush!

My cousin, Tracy, and I decided to have a yard sale this weekend. I'd just like to say that any money we made, we EARNED! Good grief, that was rough! I'd 10x's rather clean teeth :-)

OK! So, a few of you have asked for some tips on getting your kids to brush their teeth! I love having people be concerned about their kids oral hygiene. How wonderful! However, I've not really had a lot of experience in this area. My toddler, Rhyan (who is now 2.5) looooves to brush her teeth! And she always has!

So, I turned to my friends and patients for some idea's. And i got some pretty good ones to share with you! Thank you to all of you who responded and shared your experiences.

The best advice I can give is this:

1. START EARLY! As soon as your little one starts to get his/her first tooth, use a washcloth to wipe it clean each day. This will help baby get used to having someone look around in their mouth and touch their teeth and gums. It also builds routine, which children thrive on!

2. When baby is very young, get a finger cot brush if you'd prefer. Just watch your fingers :-)

3. Make brushing FUN! Let your child pick his/her own toothbrush with their favorite characters.

4. Use training toothpaste. Its fluoride free, which is important for children who can not yet spit. But, it does taste good to them and encourages brushing/makes it tasty!

5. Use a timer to teach kids to brush for AT LEAST a minute. Hour glass timers are cheap and fun but a musical timer works great as well. This could even be your ipod with your kids favorite song! Just do what you can to keep that toothbrush in contact with the teeth as long as possible!

6. DISCLOSE! From time to time (at least once a month!) use a plaque finder of some sort. ACT makes "cool blue" mouth rinse or you can get red disclosing tablets from your dentist (warning: they stain more than just plaque so be sure to help your child!). Have your child brush first, then disclose, and then brush again to get what they missed. It can be a fun challenge!

7. Stay positive! As always, you will find more success (in general) when you encourage in a positive way with your children. I know, i know. It gets old having to remind them all. the. time. to brush! But the fact is, most kids are just forgetful. As adults, we dont understand how they forget. but they do! So be patient. Use sticky notes on their bookbags or lunchbox's or somewhere they will notice so that you dont have to verbally remind them, adding to your annoyance :-) Tell them when it looks like they've done a nice job and have been through!

8. Check your childs teeth. If they are young and still need help, help them. I tell most parents that until a kid is around 3-4 years old that parents should brush for the child first, giving them a "turn" after you. But pay attention to your child. Some children gain dexterity rather quickly and become quite adept at brushing pretty early on. If this is your child, let him/her start and you can finish up for them! But even if your child is 10 years old, an occasional spot check by mom and dad is in order. Kids get lazy. They get sloppy. And lets face it, you BOTH "pay" when kids get cavities!

9. Set a good example. Good brushing habits, along with everything else, should be modeled by the parent first. Gingivitis and gum disease and cavities are NOT genetic! They are familial, though, meaning that it is common for children of parents who have gum disease to also have gum disease because they share in this: poor hygiene. Set a good example for your child. Brush in the same bathroom, if your child seems to enjoy it.

10. Start taking your children to the dentist for regular check-up's around 3 years old, unless you have specific concerns earlier. Yes, your pediatrician will tell you to take a child at 1 year old. But trust me, your dentist will be very limited on what they can "do" to a one year old. I typically tell my patients to just bring their child with them when they come for a routine cleaning and I will look at the childs teeth using a mirror. All we check for at this age is baby bottle tooth decay (do NOT put your baby to bed w/ a bottle of ANY kind!) and that all teeth are erupting as normal (which is so very different from one child to the next). However, it IS important to start when you feel your child will tolerate a cleaning (between 3-4 at the latest!) so that their experiences with the dentist are positive and fun and not based on the idea that "we go to the dentist when our teeth hurt".

For my daughter, i've found that she really likes to be able to look in the mirror while we brush each morning and night. Especially when we first started brushing. Bottom line is this, though... you want brushing to be fun and a positive thing, but some kids are just resistant. For those, I recommend a book called "parenting the strong-willed child" HA!. But in all honesty, hygiene is a part of life. You wouldnt let your child skip a bath if they were dirty just because they didnt want a bath. Children are driven by desires, not by information. They need you, as the parent, to be wise and to require more of themselves than they want to give. So do what you can to help your children enjoy brushing, but in the end, they simply MUST brush. Before or after meals, whatever! Just get the plaque off the teeth twice a day. Believe me, it IS a battle you want to choose!

Happy brushing, peeps!

Helpful Hygiene Tips: Brushing (plus, send me your suggestions!)

First off, I'd like to thank you all for the comments and questions. And for next week's post I'd very much like to address Kristin's request to give tips on getting a toddler/child to participate (or even let mom/dad) brush their teeth. But seeing as how each child is soooo different and all of us Mom's has had to deal with this in different ways, I'd like to hear from YOU! So would you take a moment and email me and share with me how you've gotten your kids to brush. What worked? What didnt? Are you still struggling or have you settled into a good brushing routine? You can leave a comment here but i'd prefer that you just email me your suggestions to: forddygirl@yahoo.com
Thanks in advance!!! I'll be posting on this next saturday so please try to get suggestions in by then!

Ok, my fellow flossing friends! If you're coming back each week looking to continue to improve on your oral health, I must say, I'm proud! Or if this is your first week, keep coming back. I guarantee that your hygienist will be proud at your next cleaning visit and you may even earn a trip to the treasure box or a "most improved" sticker :-)

The second most often piece of advice that i give patients is this: you must brush your gums!

As i said in the "flossing... the why" post, plaque accumulates at the gumline.

The problem is that most people bite their teeth together and make an attempt to brush both top and bottom teeth at once by scrubbing back and forth. But we dont ever really get to the gumline... so we dont remove the plaque. So, then when we head to our every six month hygiene visit and we're all proud that we've been brushing twice a day but still get "fussed at" by our hygienist, we're discouraged. And rightfully so!

I could write for days about brushing. Seriously. But i'll give the most important tip right here.

Angle your bristles towards your gumline. So for the top teeth, you'll angle the bristles just slightly up. Not straight in on your teeth and not straight up. Split the difference... approximately a 45 degree angle. Then brush in small circles focusing on brushing EACH tooth for 2-3 seconds.

Think of your gum tissue as a nice ripe tomato that you just picked from the garden. It may have a little dirt on it that you'd like to get off, but you certainly need to be gentle. But thorough. You dont want to bruise the tomato or cut the skin, but you do want to remove all the dirt. So you clean it gently and take as long as you need in order to get it clean.

Take the same care with your gums!

Brushing should take 2 minutes minimum in order to be thorough. But on average, people brush for 30-45 seconds. So, get out your ipod and play your favorite song and get to brushing. And dont stop till it does! (side note: if you're a rock and roller or heavy metal lover, make sure that your brushing doesnt reflect the style of music you choose! ha!)

Most people fall into the "fast and furious" category of brushing which leaves their gums abraded, swollen and a little tender. Slooooooowww down if this is you!

And then many others tell me that they NEVER see pink in the sink. But as I look at their gums and see how much inflamation they have, I can only come to one conclusion: they're not brushing the gums!

So, impress your hygienist and get those gums! Remember that you may see some bleeding for 7-10 days when you first start being a great brusher. But stick with it! And smile as you see results of all your diligent work!

Helpful Hygiene Tips: Floss

I've decided to start posting a few helpful hints about dental hygiene because, well, its just not done enough. Its amazing to me how many of my friends and family leave the dentist with very little information! So, i though i might share some from time to time! For those of you who dont know me personally, I am a dental hygienist. I have been for the last 8 years and the previous 5 years i spent as a dental assistant while going to school. I love helping people achieve a healthy smile and be proud to enjoy life without being self conscious of their teeth :-)

I'm completely open to questions, so feel free to post them and I'll answer them on the blog for us all to learn from one another :-) And dont worry, if you'd prefer that I not mention who asked the question, just say so!

SO... my first tip (this will be a shocker, i know, to everyone! HA!):

FLOSS is important! Everyone knows this, but most people just dont do it. Well, everyone except for my in-laws and cousin Tracy's family. They're some hardcore flossers! (hope you dont mind me bragging on you, family!).

Here's the problem: most people get in a hurry or just forget to floss because its not a part of the daily discipline of their life. Its not a habit!

So, how do we correct that?

First, leave your floss out on your cabinet! For any ocd clean freaks like me, this will be a difficult task for you because you want everything neatly tucked away in a drawer. But for most "normal" people, this is not a big deal. If anything, you may be thinking "it'll be lost in the clutter if its on the cabinet!". If so, no worries. The point is, put it somewhere that you will see it. Daily.

Second, floss BEFORE you brush. This is easily the most frequently given advice that I share with my patients. The reasoning is simple: if you floss first, your teeth still feel dirty enough that theres no way that most people will skip brushing. But if you brush first, you feel clean enough. A secondary benefit is that without the plaque filling the areas between your teeth, the fluoride from your toothpaste can reach these areas!

And seeing as how studies show that flossing adds 2-3 years to your life, its an easy way to try to improve your health and live to celebrate a golden anniversary with your spouse. (Well, lets face it, theres no amount of floss that will lengthen a marriage, but it can help to ensure that youre ALIVE to celebrate if you choose to stay married! HA!).

So, why not give it a try? Grab your 4 year old pack of floss out of the back of the drawer, dust it off and give it a go! Sure, your gums will throb tonight, and possibly for the next 12-24 hours, but if you keep it up, they will be as healthy as they can be in 7-10 days.

Stay posted on WHY it takes 7-10 days and WHY you SHOULD stick with it.

I'm expecting lots of people checking in on my blog b/c of these posts, now. YEAH RIGHT! :-) But you never know what little tidbit you may enjoy reading about! So, heres to flossing!