Other Things That Matter Beyond Brushing & Flossing – Part One

Good Oral Hygiene Routine

While most people know that brushing and flossing every day are part of a good oral hygiene routine, there are other details that may seem insignificant but are part and parcel of keeping teeth and gums healthy. We ought to be aware about these ‘little things.’ Here’s what we’re talking about.

Healthy Tongue

You have to keep your tongue healthy, too. The tongue must be one of the filthiest places. It is a reservoir for food debris, bacteria and cells of all types. If debris is allowed to build up on your tongue, it may alter your sense of taste, cause a foul smelling odor, and may lead to development of cavities on teeth, as well gingivitis of the gums. Clean your gums regularly by brushing; you can use the same toothbrush. Or you can use a tongue scraper, which is also commercially available.

Are you using the right toothbrush type?

Because it matters. There are so many types, but some are better than others. Use one with a small head that can comfortably reach your back teeth. They must have soft bristles; don’t go for the hard-bristled brushes because they can scrape enamel off your teeth and hurt your soft gums as well. Electric toothbrushes are even better. With thousands of oscillations per minute, they clean more effectively. They are safe and convenient to use, and can warn you if you are brushing too hard. When shopping for toothbrushes, look for the ADA Seal of Acceptance.

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Change Where You Start Your Brushing!

When our Bellevue dentist examines your teeth, we commonly discover plaque in a lot of the same places. Sometimes this is because you’re just neglecting a certain area, but this can also happen to people who know enough to cover every surface of their teeth. If you feel like you’re doing a thorough job brushing, but you’re still seeing the same problem areas whenever you go in for your check-up, the answer may be simple: you need to rotate your starting point.

Start Brushing at Different Areas

It’s a fact that people tend to fall into a strict pattern. You likely start brushing your teeth in the exact same place every morning and night, and the rest of your brushing routine probably looks surprisingly similar as well. This means that only one area is getting the best of your attention every day, and you’re only reaching other areas after you’ve grown tired of brushing, diluted your toothpaste, and aren’t as focused on doing a good job.

To deal with this, take note of where you start every day and try to mix it up. Break your mouth into quadrants, and focus on starting in a different place every morning and night. You may be surprised by how much better your next dental visit goes!

The Cavity Myth

No Pain? No Cavity? It’s a myth!

Far too many people still think that no pain means no cavities. This is an unfortunate myth. The truth is that your best bet is to get into your Bellevue dental clinic before the pain starts, or else you could be facing damage far beyond a simple filling.

The important thing to realize is that much of your tooth doesn’t feel pain. The only nerve in your tooth is found in the soft, inner “pulp” that is encased in the thick, rock-like structure that makes up the rest of your tooth. This unfeeling part is where decay starts. In fact, once your oral bacteria have managed to break a hole through the tiny layer of enamel at your tooth’s surface, you will need treatment.

Prevention is Key

Pain usually doesn’t come until the rot has gone all the way through the dentin and into the pulp. At this point, you’re in root canal country. You’re unlikely to be aware of tooth decay until it reaches this stage, so the only thing to do is to get your regular check-ups and catch your cavities before they get too far.

Long Debated: Which Comes First, Brushing or Flossing?

Brush first? Floss first?

The American Dental Association says that flossing is integral to oral hygiene routine. The recommendation is brushing with fluoride for at least two minutes at twice daily, accompanied by once daily flossing. It keeps plaque, cavities, and gum disease at bay. Now, on flossing, some people floss daily as recommended, others floss only when they feel something’s stuck in between their teeth, while the rest, almost never floss. We all understand that flossing removes food debris, plaque and bacteria in between teeth that a toothbrush cannot reach.

Though it’s a simple, routine task, flossing seems tedious for most people for some reason or other. But apart from that, those who floss wonder if there is a specific sequence for better results – does flossing follow brushing, or is it the other way around.

Some experts say that patients can have flexibility. How frequently and thoroughly you clean your mouth is more important than the specific sequence. This suggest that it’s up to you to determine your routine. What works best for you is your personal preference. When are you most likely to thoroughly clean your teeth.

However, there are dentists and other medical professionals who differ and have their own preferences. For example, some periodontists, those who specialize in gum diseases, advice flossing before brushing. They claim that doing so loosens up plaque that you can brush away. Most people brush first simply because it’s the first thing in a routine they do. Then again, all of the research leads to the fact that it doesn’t really matter when you brush your teeth first and clean between them later. As long as you follow the brush twice a day, floss once a day rule, it’s beneficial.

Flossing Properly

What does matter, though, is that you floss properly. To make sure you’re actually removing plaque, you should place the floss between two teeth, curve it around the shape of one tooth, move it up and down (not forward and backward) a couple times, and then repeat around the other tooth. You floss not to get food out from between teeth, you floss to remove plaque from below the gum line that’s in between teeth. There’s a distinction.

Traditional dental floss, as well as dental picks, interdental brushes and water flossers can do the work. But for your unique mouth conditions, seek your dentist’s advice and how they are used properly.

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Better Understanding of Brushing and Flossing

At Overlake Dental in Bellevue, we encourage and promote flossing, and whatever sequence you choose to do it is alright, for as long as the recommended standards are followed.

What Are The Benefits of Dental Sealants?

Benefits of Dental Sealants for Children

Dental sealants are a treatment for children’s teeth designed to be applied on the chewing surfaces of teeth to protect teeth by preventing cavities from forming. The sealant is a thin, plastic coating made of biocompatible acrylic usually painted on the back teeth – premolars and molars. It quickly bonds into the depressions and grooves of the teeth, forming a protective shield over the enamel of each tooth. Teeth have recesses on their biting surfaces; the back teeth have fissures or grooves and some front teeth have pits. Food debris and bacteria get stuck in these depressions making the teeth highly susceptible to tooth decay. These teeth are also hard to reach for cleaning; tooth brushing is not always enough to keep them clean.

Dental sealants are mainly used in children who are at higher risk of tooth decay, and are usually placed as soon as the adult molar teeth come through. Once applied, sealants protect against 80% of cavities for 2 years and continue to protect against 50% of cavities for up to 4 years. Children aged 6 to 11 years without sealants have almost three times more first molar cavities than children with sealants.

Having sealants is Good for Oral Health

It’s a simple and quick procedure, it is not expensive, and is quite accessible – it can be applied by a dentist, dental hygienist, or other qualified dental professional. This can be done in dental offices or using portable dental equipment in community settings like a school. However, given its benefits, the treatment is still underused.

Sealant use increased by about 75% among low-income children and remained at about 43% among higher-income children from 1999–2004 to 2011–2016. Less than half of children aged 6 to 11 years have dental sealants. Low-income children are 15% less likely to get sealants and twice as likely to have untreated cavities.

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Dental Sealants for Children at Overlake Dental

If you are considering dental sealants for your child, come over to Overlake Dental in Bellevue and let’s talk more about ensuring a healthy future for your child’s oral health.