Hello dental friends! We hope this finds you in good health. Our community has been turned upside down by COVID-19 and we have greatly missed seeing everyone. By taking all the proper precautions and going above and beyond with our infection control, we are opening on a limited capacity and ready to welcome you back. However, for those who aren’t quite ready to venture out we understand and respect that. We still want to assist you the best we can. Let us help you with a few dental hygiene tips to keep your oral health on track until we can visit again!
Power Up That Toothbrush
If you don’t have a power toothbrush, now is an excellent time to make that investment! One minute of brushing with an electric toothbrush, provide 31,000 brushstrokes compared to 300 with a manual toothbrush. This allows for effortless removal of plaque (the sticky film that coats teeth and contains bacteria), resulting in reduction of bleeding and sore gums. Brands of electric toothbrushes that we recommend are Philip’s Sonicare, Oral-B and the Waterpik SonicFusion which can all be found at Walmart, CVS and Amazon.
Floss
Flossing your teeth is crucial for maintaining a healthy mouth. Brushing alone only fights half the bacteria battle. When brushing, we clean the tooth surface that we can see. Floss cleans the in-between areas that the toothbrush can’t. Bacteria and plaque love to grow in dark and damp areas like in-between teeth and under gums. Flossing correctly disrupts the growing of that bacteria and creates a clean and healthy surface. When flossing your teeth, it is important to go all the way under your gums in a “C” shape to ensure you get the plaque at it’s source. We love good ol’ fashioned string floss but we also encourage floss picks or a waterpik flosser, whatever will get you to participate. Your teeth and gums will be glad you do!
Attack that Acid
During this time, for many, extra time on our hands equals more snacking/drinking. Be aware that many of these snacks/drinks, especially sodas and sports drinks, are high in acid and low in pH, resulting in week tooth enamel, the outer covering of your teeth. The longer you can keep a higher pH in your mouth the better! When it comes to the health of your enamel, it is most important to think about exposure time and how long your teeth are exposed to that acidic environment. For example, if you were to have a soda, it is best to sit and drink (use a straw at all times, if possible) it in one sitting rather than sipping it for several hours. Timing is important here folks, so don’t let those snacks/drinks sit on your teeth for long!
Don’t Forget The Fluoride
When we eat things like candy, crackers and noodles cavity causing bacteria is created. Fluoride to the rescue!! Fluoride is extremely important to protect tooth enamel. When fluoride mixes with saliva a shield of protection is created and coats your teeth, protecting them from this bacteria. Fluoride can be found in toothpaste, mouth rinses and tap water. Just make sure you are brushing your teeth twice a day with toothpaste that has the ADA Seal, ensuring that it has been tested and shown to contain the right amount of fluoride to protect your teeth.
Peroxide
It is known that the COVID-19 virus has been found in saliva and a peroxide based mouthrinse can help oxidize the virus thus killing it. We recommend rinsing 1 time a day with either Colgate Proxyl, Listerine Whitening Mouthrinse or mixing equal parts water with 2% over the counter peroxide for 20 seconds. Every little bit helps when being proactive and staying healthy during this pandemic.
We hope these little reminders help keep your teeth and gums healthy until we see you again. Should you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate and call us a (972) 262-5181.
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