Choosing the right toothpaste for yourself—or your family—goes beyond the coupon you may have in hand, or bright displays in the marketplace. For your health, you have to think like a dentist. At different times in our lives, dental strategies change, toothpaste requirements change. And product name isn't half as important as the basic components [...]
If your goal is healthy teeth for life, then you need fluoride. It ensures newly formed teeth are strong; prevents plaque, caries, and gum disease; and protects roots that get exposed as gums recede over time. This essential mineral is present in what we eat and drink, but a healthy diet doesn't supply enough for a [...]
As we age, wrinkles and graying hair become evident. For adults, there’s no reversing the aging process. But happily, a lifetime of fluoride use can help reverse the demineralizing process! Bacterial plaque continually forms on teeth, producing acids that initiate the process of decay. That’s DE-mineralization. Fluoride helps add back calcium and phosphate. That’s RE-mineralization. [...]
Read each question and choose the best answer. Scoring below. 1. The best toothbrush bristle is: (a) Medium (b) Hard (c) soft (d) electric 2. Teeth grinding and gnashing (bruxism) can lead to: (a) a pain in the neck (b) Sore teeth (c) Headaches (d) all of the above 3. The dentist’s word for cavities: [...]
Start reading labels to choose the right toothpaste for you and your family. All toothpastes have certain ingredients in common. They’ll contain mild abrasives for scrubbing, foaming detergents to help float away debris, fluoride to protect tooth enamel, thickening agents for stability, humectants for moisture retention, and flavors to make the mixture palatable. Gum Protection [...]
When teeth hurt, the sooner we reach the root of the problem, the sooner the pain disappears. What triggers tooth pain? Heat, cold, touch, air, sweet or sour foods. If you recently had a cavity filled, that area may be sensitive for awhile. Other causes of sensitivity are: Erosion of tooth enamel. Gum shrinkage down [...]
You grew up with fluoride. Your teeth show it in the very fact that you still have them. Before 1945, by the time your nest was empty, your mouth was often empty as well. But when cities began adding it to water supplies, tooth decay took a nose dive. Most of us never gave it a [...]
What is fluoride, and why is it good for my teeth? Fluoride is a compound of the element fluorine, which is found universally throughout nature in water, soil, air, and in most foods. Fluoride is absorbed easily into tooth enamel, especially in the growing teeth of children. Once teeth are developed, fluoride makes the entire [...]
When should my child first see a dentist, and why? The ideal time is six months after your child's first (primary) teeth erupt. This time frame is a perfect opportunity for us to carefully examine the development of your child's mouth. Because dental problems often start early, the sooner the visit the better. To safeguard [...]
Why is brushing with it important? Brushing with toothpaste is important for several reasons. First and foremost, a toothpaste and a correct brushing action work to remove plaque, a sticky, harmful film of bacteria that grows on your teeth that causes caries, gum disease, and eventual tooth loss if not controlled. Second, the toothpaste contains [...]
