THE TOOTHBRUSH: One of the most basic, efficient tools of modern society! But as technology continues to progress, patients ask which is best—a manual toothbrush or an electric one?

First of all, it’s important to note that most people can get an effective cleaning using either option. Nevertheless, the Cochrane study evaluating hundreds of electric toothbrushes (ETB) revealed that the ETB’s are more efficient at cleaning teeth, and thus, more effective for the vast majority of people who brush. However, we’ve listed a few features of each below:

Some Perks From The Classic:

A manual toothbrush has been doing a great job for years and will continue to do so.

• It’s simple, accessible, and cheap (not to mention travel-ready).
• Changing your brush now and then can be good.
• In some cases, it may be softer on enamel and gums (depending on the brush and your technique).

Advantages Of An Electric Toothbrush:

• For those with limited dexterity, (due to arthritis, stroke, limited shoulder and elbow movement) they better ensure great cleaning.
• Some have unique and interesting features that encourage effective brushing (such as gauging pressure, a timer showing time spent, etc.).

How Electric Toothbrushes Are Made And How They Work

Take a break from whatever you’re stressing about today and learn something fun. Use the info next time you’re at a party to impress your friends:

5 Things MORE Important Than The Type Of Brush:

More important than what kind of toothbrush you have is how you use it! Make sure you’re covering these five factors:

1. Use soft bristles.
2. Get a new brush (or brush head) every 4 months or so.
3. Brush for two minutes a day.
4. Don’t brush TOO hard; it can hurt your gums.
5. Be thorough, and get all the corners.

If you have any questions, or you’re wondering what kind of toothbrush is best for you, please contact us. We consider ourselves pretty dialed-in on your dental hygiene, and we’d love to discuss how you can get the very best cleaning at home each day.

Thanks for reading, and for being a valued part of our practice family!

WHEN IT’S WARM OUTSIDE we all enjoy our favorite warm weather foods and beverages! Have you ever considered how some of these affect your smile? You may be surprised. Here’s a short list of foods that can do some damage to your teeth if you’re not thoughtful about it.

Warm Weather Foods To Be Aware Of:

Iced Coffee

Many people not only start the day drinking iced coffee, but continue to sip on it throughout the day. Because your teeth are very porous, coffee can leave significant stains on your teeth. Lightening up your coffee with cream or milk helps a little.

Pickles & Pickled Vegetables

Pickles are typically made with lots of vinegar and sugar—two things that can be harmful to your teeth. The vegetables are healthy but the brine is what can do some real damage.

Sports Drinks

People are a lot more active during warm weather months. Do you turn to sports drinks to stay hydrated? Just be careful. Many are full of sugars and acids.

Diet Soda

These drinks may seem harmless because they don’t have sugar, but they still have a lot of acidity and other harmful substances that can affect your tooth enamel.

Barbecue Sauce

Most barbecue sauces contain lots of sugar, vinegar, tomato paste, and (in some cases) dye which can contribute to damage or stains.

Helpful Tips:

• Don’t swish around sport or fruit drinks, or hold them in your mouth.
• After drinking sports drinks, wait an hour before brushing your teeth so you don’t harm the softened enamel.
• Eat more fresh vegetables such as cucumbers and celery.
• After eating barbecued foods or foods that stick between teeth, chew sugar free gum and/or rinse your mouth with water.

And Just For Fun…

Check out these summer hacks (especially the ones that encourage all of us to drink more water and eat more fruit)!

Enjoy the warm weather! And, if you have questions about this information, please let us know and let’s visit!

 

WHAT IS AS BRITTLE AS GLASS and at the same time, the hardest substance in your body? Your tooth enamel! Each time you bite down it handles the equivalent of 160 pounds of pressure, time after time after time. Think about how often you bite down during your lifetime. It’s crazy!

Enamel is the hard outer layer of your teeth, built to protect the softer dentine layer, and your super-sensitive pulp.

It’s Amazing How Such A Brittle Substance Handles The Pressure

It’s an engineering marvel. Enamel is actually made up of a dense forest of long rods. These rods start crisscrossing each other as they go deeper into the tooth, diffusing the pressure. It’s like sprawling your body out flat to crawl over an ice-covered pond, spreading the pressure over a wider area.

Mother Nature’s Pattern For Strength

This same concept actually inspired a group of scientists to create glass that is 200 times stronger than normal! Read about it in the article, How to Toughen Glass by Cracking It: A Lesson From Teeth and Shells.

Enamel Is Built To Deal With Pressure… But Not Erosion

As strong as your enamel is, it doesn’t deal as well with acid and bacteria. It needs our help for that.

4 ways your enamel CAN get worn down:

1. Acidic breakdown (usually from acidic drinks like soda, fruit juices, and sports drinks).
2. Abrasion from rough brushing and tooth-whitening toothpastes.
3. Bad habits like tooth-grinding.
4. High sugar-and-starch diets, which create acid byproducts.

Your Enamel Is Finite So Treat It Well

As amazing as your enamel is, it’s one of the only parts of your body unable to regenerate itself because it’s one of the only parts of your body not comprised of living cells. So protect your enamel by brushing regularly, flossing, and keeping your regularly scheduled checkups.

Thanks for the trust you place in our practice. We appreciate having you as our valued patient!