Cross-training is all the rage in the fitness world. It makes sense for a healthy, toned body. It also makes sense when it comes to healthy teeth and gums.
It is important to disrupt or remove the sticky bacterial film which forms on our teeth on a daily basis. Just as we use different exercises to tone different parts of the body, we need a multitude of tools to reach all the nooks and crannies found around our teeth and gums.
In my experience, flossing 7 days a week is the most difficult habit to add to your daily routine. If 7 day flossing is too overwhelming, how about committing to 2 or 3 days?
And, on the days when you don’t floss, use one of the other available plaque removal tools like Soft Picks or a Rubber Tip Stimulator by GUM?
Dental floss is the only tool which disrupts the plaque where the teeth touch each other (where cavities start). Soft picks are user friendly, feather-like toothpicks which remove food particles and plaque between teeth. A rubber tip is a metal handle with a rubber point on the end which is used to trace the gumline where plaque accumulates due to the normal anatomy of the tooth which is widest in the middle. This deflects the bristles of your toothbrush and leaves plaque at the gumline where the tooth is more narrow.
Undisturbed plaque cranks out acids and toxins which cause cavities and gum disease.
Why not give oral care cross-training a try? Get in there and shake things up with a few different oral care tools (not all in one day but varying them during the week).
Switch up the routine and you’ll see the results for yourself.
Questions about oral care? Contact us or book an appointment for a check up & cleaning to remove plaque to help prevent cavities.
Related Posts:
Over the past decades, we have gotten accustomed to a standard one-hour visit to the dentist. X-rays are taken, an exam is done by the dentist and teeth are cleaned by the hygienist. A routine dental visit may be appropriate for established patients, but today, a full dental exam consists of a lot more.
Has the world of dentistry really changed that much? Yes!
The past ten years have seen many positive changes in the world of dentistry thanks to breakthroughs in research, modern technology and more efficient practices. This could effectively change the future of dental disease for patients.
Let’s go over the components of a comprehensive exam and understand the different aspects:
X-rays of the entire mouth:
X-rays can identify many aspects of oral disease, including cavities between the teeth, bone loss or periodontal disease, infections, bone lesions, unusual dental growth and unerupted teeth
Diagnostic Imaging of entire mouth:
Pictures allow for the magnifications of dental conditions and the evaluation of existing restoration and potential new cavities under filling
Caries risk assessment:
This is the evaluation of snacking habits, oral hygiene habits and the existence of current cavities among other items to make an assessment of the likely hood of future cavities.
Gums risk assessment:
This is the measurement of the gums in millimeters, and evaluation of the color, aspect, and bleeding propensity of the gums to form an assessment for future gum problems.
Oral cancer screening and head & neck examination:
This is the examination of the cheeks and gum to identify early lesions that may need follow up to detect and prevent oral cancer.
Comprehensive oral evaluation:
This is the evaluation of all the above information to put together a plan to fix current issue and most importantly, to put together a customized prevention plan. This ensures that caries, gum disease and oral cancer are prevented in the future. This may include antibacterial mouth rinse, fluoride applications, diet/snacking recommendation and advice of a healthy balanced diet where fruits and vegetable are represented. Also this may include and awareness of risk factors for oral cancer such as smoking and frequent alcohol intake.
Oral hygiene instructions
Dental cleaning
Same day treatment plan and cost estimate (except in large cases requiring another appointment at no charge)
In total, we spend 1 h 40 minutes on your appointment. (50 minutes with the doctor and 50 minutes with the hygienist)
At Making You Smile we believe in prevention and we will spend a lot of time with every new and existing patients to customize a prevention plan to fit their oral health needs.
Gum disease is the most under-diagnosed disease affecting the teeth. The primary reasons is that like high blood pressure, often there are no symptoms. Gum disease can still be present when pain isn't.
Some of the subtle symptoms of gum disease include bleeding gums when brushing and flossing, loose teeth, and receding gums.
Gum disease can be divided in two categories: the first is inflammation of the gums around the teeth (gingivitis) and the second is a loss of the bone which supports the teeth most often accompanied by inflammation of the gums.
At Making You Smile we are committed to prevention of gum disease through comprehensive dental exam and diagnosis, patient education and thorough treatment and prevention plan.
