Laughing in the Face of Dental Fear May Ease Worries

For those who hate going to the dentist, thinking positively, joking with dental staff relieved stress, studies saySource: HealthDayRelated MedlinePlus Pages: Dental Health, Stress (Source: MedlinePlus Health News)

Source: www.medworm.com

Don’t brush your teeth too hard

In the last blog we talked about tooth abrasion (see picture).

Here we have a patient with a large amount of recession3-4mm. The consequences of this amount of recession are

1) Sensitivity to cold. This can be severe in which case we have to fill the tooth which makes the recession even worse as you can never make the filling as smooth as the tooth.

2) It’s unsightly, cosmetically especially near the front making the teeth look longer, giving a premature aging effect.

3) As the uncovered part is the root and thus softer tooth surface it is more likely to decay and strain.

To complete the picture the patient’s plaque control is very good but that white layer at the side of the back tooth is plaque build up, missed by the tooth brush over a period of time. It is here in between the teeth that is the most important area as it’s here that periodontal disease is at its worst and of course it is here that is the hardest to clean.

Tooth Brushing is easy but getting all the plaque is off is so much harder than we all imagine, which is why it is so very important to regularly see a hygienist. We all need to see a hygienist because

1) She is able to access to plaque several weeks old (we all miss areas).

2) She make sure the home work is done to a good standard

3) She can remove all calculas (the hard areas that are microscopically rough).

4) She is able to polish stains away gently

5) We only employ nice hygienists so it is always a pleasant experience.

Remember, don’t brush too hard but make sure you brush effectively!!

How to choose a Tooth Brush

Over the years the quality of tooth brushes has improved substantially.

The amount of research in bristle technology and tooth brushing techniques has been so great that we now use brushes that although look the same, they really bear no resemblance to the older ones.

The materials and manufacture are now so much better that today’s toothbrushes are more efficient and easier to use.

With the increasingly efficient toothbrushes comes a problem, we are seeing more and more cases of toothbrush abrasion (see picture enclosed). The gums being worn away by the physical over use of the tooth brush.

Understandable really, because we have been conditioned to brush our teeth twice a day, the message that we all make up in our head is that if we brush 3 or 4 times a day- the teeth will be even cleaner or if we brush harder then they will be whiter.

Sadly this is incorrect, many of us are keeping our teeth for longer and over brushing can almost be worse than not brushing at all, this is because brushing harder not only wears away the enamel which is the white part of the tooth, thus making the teeth yellower but also causes premature recession of the gums

So what’s the answer?

1. Be careful! We all need to be taught how to brush! Sounds ridiculous but it’s true. Most of my patients which include several doctors/dentists don’t brush correctly. A session with a hygienist is a must.

2. Brushing too hard is a problem, so ease off!

3. Missing areas (especially the uppers at the back).

4. Missing the gums, we forget the gums!

5. Missing a complete section (the lower molars on the tongue side is a common area).

6. Get a good branded toothbrush- we recommend Colgate or Oral B.

A later blog will discuss the difference between hand and electric toothbrush.