Can you Really Prevent Orthodontic Issues Just with Your Choice of Toothpaste?
Smile Design Dentistry has been proudly offering comprehensive family orthodontic services from our Plymouth office to the surrounding suburbs for over 30years.
Remember, toothpaste is a cosmetic, first and foremost. It doesn’t clean your teeth on its own.
Some people just use baking soda, or coconut oil, or even just plain water. The key is to have a good technique and to brush often. A pleasant flavor of toothpaste often helps children find the daily routine more pleasant, and therefore, the toothpaste you choose may be a boost to getting it done and many claim to whiten teeth.
Marketing Messages Claim “A Better Toothpaste”
Shopping for toothpaste can actually be a little overwhelming. Viewing the variety of brands touting their special unique treatment in a rainbow of colors is enough to make anyone stand in front of the toothpaste section longer than they had planned!
Most of us would like to control tarter, whiten our teeth and avoid sensitivity at the same time. Can’t we have it all? Just like any other product, there is a lot of creativity in marketing toothpaste and truthfully most of it confuses us more than helps us!
Whitening brands are not really going to get your teeth any whiter than your hygienist will in 30 minutes. They can also be abrasive and cause painful sensitivity. Once your teeth are sensitive, it only makes sense to run out and get the paste that treats sensitivity, right? Marketing geniuses are at work once again! Do the ingredients to help sensitivity really work and is it worth it? It can help, but after you lose the whitening paste for a few days, your teeth will calm down anyway, so you tell me!.
YOU are the One who Prevents an Orthodontic Emergency
What truly cleans your teeth is YOU and the TOOTHBRUSH! The most effective way to keep the plaque and particles at bay is to brush for two minutes and be mindful of hitting every crevice of your mouth. Your hygienist will take care of the tarter or calculus, so don’t break your dates with him or her!
In most cases, the best toothpaste is the one you like the most – the one that tastes good, smells good and makes you brush longer! If you feel like the specialty brands help you, then go for it! Anything that makes brushing your teeth a positive experience is worth it.
Happy brushing,
Preventing Orthodontic Emergencies Begins with Mindfulness
Mindfulness is quite the buzzword these days. We are taught to eat mindfully in order to prevent overeating. We are told to be mindful of staying in the present so that we enjoy each moment, and create a sense of peace and contentment rather than constantly worrying about what’s ahead, how to avoid an oral surgery, or dwelling on what has happened in the past.
When we perform tasks, our success rate is much higher in preventing dental emergencies, if we are not distracted when brushing your teeth. For example, if we exercise our abdominals, the benefit will be much higher if we think about the muscles we are working. If we listen to someone’s story, we will take in much more information if our cell phone isn’t buzzing next to us. Many of our brains are multitasking to a point where we may get a lot done, but our focus may not be strong enough to complete the task at our fullest potential.
How many of you really remember brushing your teeth this morning? Or woke up thinking about your orthodontic health? I bet most of you whipped out the toothbrush, dabbed a little bit of toothpaste on it and were lucky if you brushed for over ten seconds. Did you know dental experts recommend you brush your teeth for two minutes? How many of you are really mindful of brushing all the exposed surfaces on your teeth? Most of us completely forget the very back molars and the undersides of our front teeth, especially if we are distracted by other thoughts and activities.
Practicing mindfulness can improve your health, your relationships, your memories, and your daily habits and responsibilities, not to mention reduce your cavities, improve your breath, protect your smile, and save on your dental bills!