Frequently Asked Questions about Dentistry

When brushing your teeth, you want to first choose your toothbrush. A soft, small-head toothbrush is best for your gums and teeth. If you are able to purchase an electric toothbrush, it will do most of the work for you. Either way, you will need to angle your toothbrush at a 45 degree angle towards the gums and then work your way onto the front of the tooth, then the biting surface of the tooth, and then the backside of the tooth. Circular motions are best when brushing. Make sure to brush your teeth twice a day and to make sure that you brush your teeth at night after you have eaten. To avoid bacteria sitting in your mouth all night, it is best to brush after dinnertime and to not eat afterwards. It is also best to brush your teeth after you have had breakfast to avoid the food causing bacteria on the teeth.

One of the most common questions I get as a dentist is, “What is the best toothpaste?”. My answer is typically whatever toothpaste you like that has fluoride in it. Fluoride helps make our teeth more resistant to oral bacteria and also makes the teeth less sensitive. If you do have issues with sensitivity, we recommend using a toothpaste that has potassium nitrate in it as well. Certain variations of Sensodyne toothpaste have this ingredient in it. If you choose not to use fluoride toothpaste, I recommend using a hydroxyapatite toothpaste. Hydroxyapatite is what our teeth are naturally made of and this would be a good second choice after fluoride.

Another question I commonly get is, “What mouthrinse should I use?”. This mainly depends on what your goals are. I usually recommend a non-alcohol based mouthrinse. A good basic mouthrinse to have is one that has fluoride in it, such as ACT. Another mouthrinse I suggest is Isorinse, especially if someone has gum sensitivities or gum disease. This mouthrinse is meant to get rid of both the bad gum bacteria as well as some of the tooth decay causing bacteria.

Flossing is extremely important. We recommend flossing once a day. It is important to make a C-shape around the tooth in order to remove plaque. Flossing up and down without making the C-shape will not remove plaque properly. If you are unable to floss, we recommend a waterpik to help flush the plaque out of those areas. Also, don’t forget if you have a bridge or braces, to use the special flossers that go under brackets/bridges. If you don’t floss these areas, they will be prone to cavities.

Diet plays an important part of your oral health. You should avoid sugary snacks and foods as much as possible as the bacteria will start to feed on these sugars. If you need to have a sugary snack, it is better to eat the whole snack, rather than spreading it out throughout the day. Each time you eat, it lowers the pH in your mouth causing the acidity to increase. Xylitol gum is a sugarless gum that you may chew on to help with sweet cravings that may help to combat the bacteria.

Scientists started studying fluoride in about 1909. They first noticed that children that had fluoride naturally in their drinking water were getting less cavities. Because of this, more studies were done, and the idea of fluoridating water to prevent cavities was born. For optimum caries prevention, fluoride levels should be between 0.7-1.2 ppm (parts per million). Acidic bacteria works by breaking down the tooth. Fluoride replaces lost minerals, repairs the enamel and makes it stronger and more resistant to bacteria. Most filtration systems can remove fluoride from the drinking water. Many toothpastes have fluoride in them that help to fight the bacteria as well.

Bad breath can be caused by a variety of factors. Gum disease causes bacteria to multiply in pockets between the teeth and will cause odors. This is why it is important to make sure teeth are being professionally cleaned with a dentist twice a year as well as flossing. Another cause of bad breath is bacteria on the tongue. The tongue has many fissures and grooves that can trap bacteria and cause breath to smell. It is important to brush the tongue or use a tongue cleaning device at least once a day to cut down on bad breath. Bad breath can also be caused by tonsil stones. We recommend removing these with a waterpik or a cotton tip if possible. Sometimes a breath odor can even be caused by certain systemic diseases such as diabetes. Usually once the disease is controlled, odors should diminish.

Teeth sensitivity can be caused by a number of conditions. Sometimes, cavities cause sensitivities. These can be detected with routine dental visits and can be resolved with fillings. Teeth can also be sensitive due to gum disease. This is another reason it is important to schedule routine dental visits where we can examine the gum tissue and ensure they are getting properly cleaned. Recession of gum tissue is when the gum pulls away from the tooth and exposes the root surface of the tooth. Because this structure is usually below gum tissue, it is more sensitive when exposed. Most of our patients feel that our topical fluoride applications help with this. Another option is using a toothpaste with potassium nitrate, such as Sensodyne.

Having a dry mouth can be detrimental to your oral health. Saliva naturally combats bad bacteria and when your mouth is dry, it allows more bacteria to multiply. Many times dry mouth can be caused by medications. You may be able to discuss with your doctor what medications cause dry mouth and if you could switch to one that does not have this as a side effect. If you are unable to switch medications, you should drink as much water as possible to keep the tissues hydrated. We also recommend using Xylitol lozenges to suck on to help keep the mouth lubricated. We also recommend using something called MI paste which helps to keep the tissues lubricated. Biotene is another tool we use as a mouth rinse to help keep the mouth lubricated.