Always Rinse After Use

Rinsing your toothbrush after use is crucial. You don’t need hot or even purified water to do this—a careful rinse with tap water is all that’s needed. Rinsing your toothbrush removes the used toothpaste, food particles, and can help remove other bacteria from the bristles, which can help extend the life of your toothbrush.

Never Share

Sharing toothbrushes is never recommended. You can expose yourself to dangerous bacteria, viruses, and even blood borne pathogens from people who bleed while they brush. If you’re in need of a toothbrush, you can chew gum, use your finger, or floss and use mouthwash—but never borrow a friend or family member’s toothbrush!

Keep in an Open-Air Space

After your rinse your toothbrush, it’s important to let it dry out in a place where there’s sufficient air circulation. Keeping your toothbrush in a drawer or even behind the mirror isn’t a good idea—these places don’t allow the toothbrush to properly dry out and can even encourage the growth of bacteria and mold. Toothbrush cases can easily harbor bacteria as well!

The best way to store your toothbrush is by keeping it upright in a container that allows it to dry out. If you share a toothbrush container with another person or several people, it’s important to not let these toothbrushes touch. Storing your toothbrush upright allows water to drain off the bristles and the open-air space allows it to dry out and not harbor dangerous bacteria.

Replace Every 4 Months

Our toothbrushes need to be replaced whenever they begin showing signs of wear—this is just as true for electronic toothbrushes as for standard ones! You can easily get rid of the attachment of electronic toothbrushes and get a new one when needed. Standard toothbrushes are inexpensive and affordable to replace!

A good way to tell if your toothbrush is reaching the end of its use is to examine the bristles. If the bristles are frayed, they’re not properly cleaning your teeth and gums. You may also want to replace your toothbrush after an illness or if you’ve recently received treatment for tooth decay or gum disease, as your toothbrush may be holding on to bacteria that could re-introduce these problems to your mouth.

A general rule is every four months—keep track of when you last replaced your toothbrush, and always keep a spare in your home for easy replacement when the time comes!

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What Are Dental Sealants?

First, let’s be clear that sealants are in no way a substitute for good oral care. With that out of the way, dental sealants are a coating applied to the chewing surface of teeth to prevent the formation of cavities. The sealant is a synthetic plastic material that is usually clear. While some are concerned that plastic means BPAs, an article from the ADA website provides research showing that these sealants are safe even for children.

What Teeth Are Sealants For?

The teeth that are most commonly treated are molars. That is because the chewing surface is usually pitted, allowing bacteria to build up and cause decay faster. However, any tooth can be treated with a sealant. This process is usually performed when a child gets in their adult teeth, but teeth with no cavities can be treated later on as well.

How Long Do Sealants Last?

It is tough to estimate this, mostly because it depends on how well a person cares for his or her teeth. Again, this is not a substitute for proper oral care. The coating simply acts to overlay the enamel which usually serves to protect the tooth. It is like adding a second protective coating. When teeth are cared for properly, sealants can last for many years.

Is It Worth the Cost?

Treatments are usually performed by the tooth. When a patient has many teeth sealed, the procedure can cost hundreds of dollars. However, because the sealant protects against cavities and other dental problems that are costly to fix, this preventative measure is really a cost-effective means of protecting your teeth. Plus, decay can lead to lost teeth. You can’t really put a price tag on being able to keep your own teeth throughout your life as opposed to dealing with dentures.

Good Oral Care Is a Must

With the help of dental sealants, you can enjoy good oral health throughout your life. However, the responsibility still falls on each individual to care for their teeth daily as well as to schedule regular cleanings with a dental professional.

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Smoking and Periodontal Disease

Smoking can affect the normal function of the cells that make up gum tissue. The result is gums that are susceptible to infection. When a person smokes, the type of bacteria found in the mouth changes. More aggressive forms of bacteria take hold and make gum infections more common. Smoking also increases calculus on the teeth. Calculus, along or under the gumline, can cause serious gum damage if not regularly removed by a dental professional.

Because smoking also impairs blood flow in the gums, the healing process is slowed. This makes it difficult to recover from periodontal disease even if the infection can be cleared up. Unfortunately, even those who wish to kick the tobacco habit often have a difficult time due to the addictive nature of nicotine.

Is Smokeless Tobacco Better for Your Gums?

Absolutely not! Using chewing tobacco can result in a receding gumline. This not only leaves your gums open to infection, but it increases the odds of suffering from tooth decay. Since chewing-tobacco contains more nicotine than cigarettes, it may be even tougher to kick this habit. Nicotine is not only addictive, but it also contributes to faster calculus build up and gum problems.

Quick Facts About Periodontal Disease and Tobacco

– Smokers have double the odds of getting gum disease than non-smokers.

– Risks increase based on how much a person smokes and how long they have been a smoker.

– Gum disease treatment is not as successful for smokers.

– Chewing tobacco and pipe tobacco also increase the risk of periodontal disease.

Other Dental Health Conditions Related to Tobacco

Gum disease is not the only thing that tobacco users need to be concerned with when it comes to oral health. Other conditions related to smoking and chewing tobacco include:

– Various oral cancers (especially when using chewing tobacco)

– Receding gums

– Poor bone density

– An increased risk of dental implant failure

You Can Kick the Habit

There are various medications, gums, and patches on the market to help people break away from tobacco and nicotine. If you need assistance, ask your dentist for recommendations. Your dentist will be happy to help since kicking the tobacco habit is the best thing you can do for your periodontal health.

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If You Have Bad Breath…

The tongue can harbor plaque and bacteria just like the rest of our mouths, but since the tongue is
constantly bathed in saliva, moving against certain foods, and cleaning itself, the plaque and bacteria don’t gather on the tongue in the same way they do in the small spaces between our teeth or on the surfaces of our teeth. However, if you have bad breath, the tongue might actually be housing a lot of the bacteria that could be causing your bad breath. Many people find brushing their tongue helpful when it comes to bad breath, especially in the morning. If you find that brushing with a tooth brush makes you gag, there are certain “tongue scrapers” that you can buy. While these are not necessary for optimal oral health, you may want to consider these if you have bad breath or an unpleasant taste on your tongue from certain foods. Usually, the taste from certain foods will go away quickly as the tongue cleans itself, but for certain foods like garlic, salmon, or onions, the taste may unpleasantly linger. Bad breath can also be a sign of gum disease or tooth decay, so remember to always get routine check-ups with your dentist!

Is it Necessary?

Cleaning your tongue is not strictly necessary as long as you keep your mouth clean. This means
brushing at least once a day, flossing once a day or between meals as necessary, and visiting your
dentist. Brushing your tongue is optional. The bacteria on the tongue can spread back to the teeth and gums after brushing if the tongue is not itself brushed, but as it takes at least 24 hours for plaque to form in your mouth, you should be fine as long as you’re brushing once a day. Remember that it’s the quality of your brushing that matters over quantity—no use in brushing your teeth several times a day if you are missing the same areas every time, therefore allowing plaque to build up! Your dentist can talk with you about which areas are being missed in your mouth when brushing just by examining your teeth during your check-up.

While many people give their tongue a quick scrub, it’s not wholly necessary. If you have bad breath or frequently eat foods that feel like their taste “clings” in your mouth, you may find it helpful to brush your tongue along with your regular brushings. As always, healthy oral hygiene consists of brushing, flossing, and visiting your dentist!

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Symptoms of TMJ

Some of the symptoms of TMJ may be obvious such as jaw pain or difficulty chewing, but there are other symptoms that could point to TMJ that you should be aware of. They include:

– Ear, face, or neck pain.

– Difficult or painful chewing.

– Difficulty opening and closing your mouth; limited mobility of your jaw.

– Clicking, popping, or grinding sound when chewing or opening and closing your mouth.

Just because you have jaw pain does not necessarily mean that you have TMJ. If you have any of these symptoms, you should follow up with your dentist. Jaw pain can also point to some other oral health problems such as a tooth abscess or even gingivitis and tooth decay.

The Effects of TMJ

While some people may only have minor symptoms and don’t feel the need to seek treatment, it’s always best to follow up with your dentist if you’re experiencing any of the symptoms of TMJ or have diagnosed TMJ. This is because the disorder of the temporomandibular joint may be causing you to grind your teeth or have other long-term effects on your oral health. The effects of TMJ could include eventual muscle stiffness or arthritis from the affected muscles around the joint, headaches, and swelling of the jaw. The good news is you don’t have to live with these symptoms.

Treatment for TMJ

While there are more extreme treatments for TMJ including surgery and pharmaceutical drugs, there are things you can do at home to help ease your symptoms of TMJ. Apply ice packs if necessary and of course avoid jaw movements that stretch your jaw including chewing gum or big yawns. As stress can affect TMJ, try to reduce the stress in your life and practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing for when you can’t. Your doctor may be able to talk with you about some exercises you can do to help improve the movement of your jaw. Some patients find that acupuncture helps to relieve their symptoms as well.

While TMJ is an unpleasant disorder, don’t self-diagnose your jaw pain. Visit your dentist to see if you could be grinding your teeth or have another oral health problem. TMJ should be evaluated by a doctor so that could can develop healthy practices and seek treatment if necessary.

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