Oral Hygiene Tips
Brushing
- Two minutes, twice a day, everyday!
- Electric toothbrushes are usually the best option. We love Oral B brushes with the small round head.
- Soft or extra-soft bristles only Change your toothbrush every 3 months to keep it soft.
- Gentle pressure to avoid gum recession.
- Fluoride toothpaste for cavity prevention - a pea size amount for adults and children who can spit, a grain of rice size amount for children who cannot spit.
- Spit, but don't rinse after brushing. This allows the fluoride to be more effective.
Flossing
- Brushing alone only cleans about 70% of your tooth surfaces. Floss at lease once a day to prevent cavities and gum disease.
- Using a C-Shaped flossing method with string floss is most effective- wrap the floss around the tooth and scrape up and down.
- We love thicker floss, like Cocofloss, to remove the most plaque.
- Floss picks are not as effective, but can be very convenient. Try setting a cup or bowl of flossers on your counter to encourage your family to floss more often.
- Water flossers can be a good addition, but do not replace flossing. Water pressure alone will not remove sticky plaque attached to the tooth surfaces between teeth.
Rinsing
- Avoid rinses that contain alcohol.
- Most over the counter rinses are ineffective, only masking bad breath symptoms.
- We recommend OraCare Health Rinse for bad breath, gingivitis and gum disease. This rinse can also be helpful for patients with dry mouth or mouth sores.
- OraCare is a two bottle chlorine dioxide rinse that is activated when mixed.
Tips for Kids
- Kids need help brushing! Start brushing when the first tooth comes in and keep helping until they can tie their own shoes.
- Fluoride paste is recommended for all kids. Use a grain of rice size smear for kids who cannot spit and a pea size for kids who can spit.
- Start flossing as soon as your child has teeth that touch each other. Try fun kids flossers.
- Your child will likely go through stages when they don't love brushing and flossing. Thanks okay, just keep doing it. They probably never really liked getting their diaper changed, but you did it anyway!
- Try the Disney Magic Timer App to help make brushing fun during more difficult stages.
Tooth Whitening Options
Pola for Aligners
This is a great option if you are using clear aligners or a clear retainer. Simply add the gel to your aligner before bedtime and whiten your teeth overnight while you sleep. This low concentration of hydrogen peroxide is excellent at whitening, with less sensitivity than stronger gels. This whitening method has also been shown to reduce gingivitis and fight cavity causing bacteria.
Opalescence GO Trays
GO trays are a great way to try whitening without a large investment in time or money. These disposable strips are placed on the teeth and left for 15 minutes to one hour depending on the strength. We prefer these to over the counter white strips because they include desensitizer and fluoride in the gel to help strengthen enamel and prevent excessive sensitivity.
Opalescence Custom Trays
Professional home whitening is an affordable yet very effective way to whiten your teeth. After taking impressions we make whitening trays custom fitted to your teeth. You will use these trays at home in conjunction with a prescription strength whitening solution. We love this option because we can customize the percentage of whitening gel to your comfort level and your trays can be reused as needed to brighten your smile if any stains return.
In Office (Same Day) Professional Whitening Treatment
In-Office Whitening is a highly effective procedure that can shave years off your smile in the amount of time it takes to eat lunch. During this procedure, we will place a concentrated solution on your teeth taking great care to protect your lips and gums. The concentrated whitening gel will release oxygen molecules that will penetrate your enamel, cleaning up stubborn stains. After a few rounds of applying the solution, your teeth will be left several shades whiter. We also include custom trays with all of our in office whitening treatments. Your trays can be used to apply desensitizer after your treatment and touch up your whitening in the future if any stains return.
Sensitivity
Causes of Sensitivity
Causes of Sensitivity
Causes of Sensitivity
The most common cause of sensitivity is gum recession that causes exposure of the tooth's root surface. Whitening treatments, cavities and tooth fractures can also cause sensitivity.
Sensitive Toothpaste
Causes of Sensitivity
Causes of Sensitivity
This is a great treatment for sensitivity related to recession, root exposure, or whitening treatments. Potassium nitrate and stannous fluoride have both shown effectiveness in reducing sensitivity. These can be found in many over the counter toothpastes and also in Prevident Sensitive paste.
Ultra EZ
Causes of Sensitivity
Dental Check up
This desensitizing gel contains potassium nitrate and fluoride. It can be used as a disposable tray or in custom trays and can provide faster relief than toothpaste. Great to combat sensitivity during or after whitening treatments.
Dental Check up
Causes of Sensitivity
Dental Check up
Schedule a dental check up to help determine the cause of your sensitivity and the best treatment options.
Dry Mouth
An inadequate flow of saliva can result as a side effect of many medications or can be associated with a medical disorder. Saliva is the mouth’s primary defense against tooth decay and maintains the health of the soft and hard tissues in the mouth. Saliva washes away food and other debris, neutralizes acids produced by bacteria in the mouth and provides disease-fighting substances throughout the mouth, offering first-line protection against microbial invasion or overgrowth that might lead to disease. Without adequate saliva, extensive tooth decay can occur very quickly.
Dry Mouth Recommendations
- Sugar Free candy or gum with xylitol- stimulates saliva and inhibits the growth of cavity causing bacteria.
- Dry mouth spray or gel with xylitol - soothes and moisturizes tissues and prevents cavities.
- OraCare Health Rinse also contains xylitol to stimulate saliva flow and can be very soothing for patients with dry mouth and mouth sores, especially during chemotherapy treatment.
- Sip water regularly throughout the day.
Fluoride
Fluoride Toothpaste
In Office Fluoride Treatment
In Office Fluoride Treatment
We recommend a fluoride toothpaste used twice daily as the first line of defense against cavities. Over the counter fluoride pastes have between 1000-1500 ppm fluoride and are effective for patients at low to moderate risk of cavities. We recommend a prescription fluoride paste for high risk patients. Colgate Prevident paste has 5000 pp
We recommend a fluoride toothpaste used twice daily as the first line of defense against cavities. Over the counter fluoride pastes have between 1000-1500 ppm fluoride and are effective for patients at low to moderate risk of cavities. We recommend a prescription fluoride paste for high risk patients. Colgate Prevident paste has 5000 ppm fluoride and is available in office or at any pharmacy with a prescription.
In Office Fluoride Treatment
In Office Fluoride Treatment
In Office Fluoride Treatment
Fluoride varnish treatments after your dental cleanings every 3-6 months are recommended for patients at moderate to high risk of cavities. These treatments are easy and inexpensive compared to the treatments required to fix cavities. Fluoride varnish can help reverse areas of weakened enamel, prevent future enamel damage and relieve se
Fluoride varnish treatments after your dental cleanings every 3-6 months are recommended for patients at moderate to high risk of cavities. These treatments are easy and inexpensive compared to the treatments required to fix cavities. Fluoride varnish can help reverse areas of weakened enamel, prevent future enamel damage and relieve sensitivity. Fluorimax varnish is applied in under 30 seconds and you are able to eat and drink immediately after leaving the office.
Tap Water
In Office Fluoride Treatment
Tap Water
Drinking fluoridated water keeps teeth strong and reduces cavities by about 25% in children and adults. Most water contains some fluoride but usually not enough to prevent cavities. Community water systems can add just the right amount of fluoride to local drinking water to prevent cavities. Because of its contribution to the large dec
Drinking fluoridated water keeps teeth strong and reduces cavities by about 25% in children and adults. Most water contains some fluoride but usually not enough to prevent cavities. Community water systems can add just the right amount of fluoride to local drinking water to prevent cavities. Because of its contribution to the large decline in cavities in the United States since the 1960s, CDC named community water fluoridation one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century. Drinking tap water is easy and FREE!