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Healthy Smile Tips
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BRUSH at least twice daily, in the morning and evening.
Always use a soft or extra soft toothbrush; a medium or hard brush can damage teeth & gums! Orthodontic patients should brush a.m. & p.m. and after all meals & snacks. Remember to gently massage teeth, gums, palate, & tongue! Also limit snacks containing sugar!
FLOSS once daily. Glide floss slides between teeth & gums easily. Glide floss picks are easy to use for patients who do not like to floss! Most cavities occur in-between teeth because patients do not like to floss. No matter how good you brush; to remove debris in between teeth flossing is necessary in preventing interproximal decay.
TOOTHPASTE all are equally good as long as they contain fluoride and have the ADA seal of approval. However, some tooth pastes may be helpful for patients with certain needs:
Sensodyne or Crest Sensitivity (for example) patients with sensitive teeth.
Listerine or Crest Gum Care patients with bleeding gums (periodontal disease).
GEL KAM FLUORIDE prescription required. At bedtime after brushing, gently massage/brush fluoride on all areas of teeth, let it sit at least 1 minute, expectorate, don’t rinse just retire to bed.
Act Fluoride same directions as above but instead you will swish for one minute. Available in the mouthwash section of stores. Fluoride helps prevent cavities, strengthens enamel & root surfaces, and helps sensitive teeth.
Listerine #1 in killing bacteria in the mouth, which causes gingivitis/bleeding gums/perio disease. You can also use ½ Listerine to ½ Hydrogen Peroxide as a great antibacterial mouth rinse.
Water Pik purchase over the counter, deep cleans pockets, recommended for perio. patients.
SENSITIVE GUMS If gums are sensitive after your cleaning, put warm water in a glass, add 1 teaspoon of salt, and swish one minute. Do this as much as you like until gums feel better. Great for cold sores too!
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