Tips I've Learned From My Dentist
Oh, dental hygiene, why aren't you talked about in school? You would think, with the government demanding we attend some form of education from the time we're 6-18 would teach us relevant subjects we'd need in life to succeed as healthy individuals but no. We know y=mx+b but we never learn how to do our taxes, the importance of taking care of our oral hygiene, how to care for a car, the importance of nutrition, how to cook, how to do laundry, and so much more.
These are things essential to our well-being. Not every child has parents or a parent or some other guardian with the mental capacity to advocate essential topics to them. I know I didn't. The importance of dental hygiene is more crucial to your well-being than the act of brushing your hair, washing your body, or even the food you eat or the words you speak. If we're lucky, in America, the average lifespan we get to reach is 70. By the ages of 40 - 64, over 60% of people in this age group are using dentures or have experienced some form of tooth loss. There are people as young as 20-year-olds with full dentures already. As someone who did not have a stable household to teach me the value of oral hygiene and many other things, I want to make sure I can equip you with at least the basics to help you prevent dentures at such a young age. I will update this article with new information as I learn it.
1. Ditch the Manual, Get an Electric Toothbrush
The electric toothbrush was first invented in 1954. It was originally meant to aid people with impaired motor skills and those with braces.
My dentist recommends any electric toothbrush from the Philips Sonicare line, with the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Smart being the best of the line.
I personally just use the Sonicare 2300 but the newest version of that is the Sonicare 4100.
2. How Long Should You Brush
The recommended time you'll hear again and again is 2 minutes. Imagine your teeth divided into 4 sections. Spend 30 seconds in each section. Brushing the outer sides, inner sides, and then the top.
3. Clean That Tongue
Cleaning your tooth is the most important. Similarly to scraping barnacles off the side of a boat, you want to get rid of any bacteria and remaining food debris from your teeth but you can't ignore your tongue. Your tongue is the best place for the debris and bacteria to lay on. If you suffer from tonsil stones, brushing your tongue will also help with that.
My dentist recommends a plastic tongue scraper with back ridges or bristles to get in between the grooves of the tastebuds. Don't be rough but do be thorough. Personally, I don't recommend the stainless steel tongue scrapers as they don't get much. The plastic scraper with ridges/bristles will work similarly to brushing your tongue with a toothbrush and help get all the debris. Think, sweeping.
4. FLOSS
If you're a lazy flosser, it helps a lot to floss before you brush. That way you put in the proper amount of effort. Flossing is so important. It gets all the food out stuck between your teeth. You might think you have none but trust me you do. That is why even when you get your teeth cleaned every 6 months, there are still food particles that come out from under your gums. Flossing will also help prevent gum disease.
My dentist recommends a water flosser over a string but flossing in general is best. If you do want to use a string floss, this is the one I use: CocoFloss in Mint.
5. Toothpaste
You can ask your dentist for a prescription toothpaste. That's what I use, but if you want to grab a quick paste, get one with Stannous fluoride.
Stannous Flouride provides beneficial protection against plaque, bacteria, and tooth protection. It also gives the required cavity protection. In contrast, sodium fluoride only helps in the defense against the cavity.
Because of this, I use two separate toothpaste. One for my teeth and one for my tongue and the roof of my mouth, they are:
3M Clinpro Toothpaste in Vanilla Mint (this is a Sodium Fluoride Anti Cavity Toothpaste and I use it on my teeth)
Crest ProHealth Sensitive and Enamel Toothpaste (this is a Stannous Fluoride Toothpaste and I use it on my tongue and the roof of my mouth)
Sometimes I mix it up. As long as your teeth get brushed and you use some fluoride, you'll be doing all the right steps to keep your teeth for life.
To summarize, THINGS MY DENTIST RECOMMENDED TO ME:
Prescription Toothpaste (ask your dentist)
DO NOT be afraid to speak up at the dentist. Like with any service, you should be told by your dentist what they're going to do to your teeth, the tools they'll use, the purpose of each tool, the aftercare work you'll need to do, and any pros or cons to the work they do on you.
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