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Common Brushing Mistakes That People Make

Many people are scared to visit a dentist and, they do not take care of their teeth so much. Even some people who brush daily, also find themselves suffering from teeth pain and other oral problems.

It is advised to visit your dentist after 6months, you can also do some things on your own to keep your dental healthy. There are certain mistakes that people do while brushing their teeth daily and they have made routine which is now a habit that can lead to poor dental health.

Not using a proper toothbrush: one of the most common mistakes which many people do is they think a hard toothbrush will clean your teeth more. But this is the wrong myth to buy a medium or hard toothbrush for teeth cleaning should be stopped. Instead, buy a toothbrush with soft bristles so that it does not cause damage to the upper layer of teeth with overzealous care.

Using whitening or anti-sensitivity toothpaste regularly: A common mistake concerning toothpaste is to use medicated toothpaste which is meant to mask sensitivity for a long period. This type of toothpaste will mask the symptoms but do not treat the problem else they make your teeth vulnerable to gum diseases and bad breath. The type of toothpaste does not matter as long as you use the right amount and brush twice a day. Sensitive toothpaste is meant for a prescribed time while whitening toothpaste must be used under the supervision of the dentist to prevent damage to teeth. Toothpaste must protect your teeth and gums so it should contain fluoride that protects your teeth from decay.

Wrestling with teeth: hard brushing will damage your teeth and brushing more than 3-4 times is also bad. Unlearning bad habits may be hard so you can switch from manual to automatic brush. A battery-operated brush is difficult to adjust for some time but makes dental hygiene easy and even reduce the frequency of dental visit.

Wrong brushing technique: brushing technique used on teeth should be vertical, not horizontal. Many people are habituated to taking long horizontal brushing strokes. This can lead to irritation and damage. Hold your brush at 45 degrees to your gums and start brushing in an up and down motion. Don’t use side-to-side motion and try to reach the areas that you have been ignoring till now.

Brushing too many times or too quickly: most of us hate going to the dentist so to avoid your visit with the dentist best alternative is to start properly doing the brush. Remember you cannot remove old cavities so easily but can avoid new cavities. Always ensure you do not brush more than twice a day as excessive brushing can damage your teeth enamel and gums. To remove plaque do not brush very hard most dental practitioners suggest brushing in a balanced manner.

How To Assess Your Risk for Tooth Decay

Talking about tooth decay it is the most common oral problem found in people. It is caused due to damage in tooth’s enamel. This happens when harmful bacteria create acid in your mouth that can attack the tooth’s surface. These bacteria attack the tooth’s enamel and dentin by softening them and causing small holes called the cavity. If these cavities are not treated on time can lead to tooth loss.

Tooth decay at an early stage will show no symptoms but as soon as it will increase can cause pain, toothache, sensitivity to sweets, and temperature of food.

Cause of tooth decay:

The main causes of tooth decay are food, drinks, and bacteria. A clear sticky liquid called plaque is always formed on your teeth. The plaque contains bacteria that feed on the sugar present in food and drinks.

The bacteria present on teeth form the acid that attacks tooth enamel’s making it lose its minerals. Drinking beverages that contain sugar can expose teeth to acid which causes enamel to continue mineral loss. Sugary foods and drinks should be consumed with other healthy meals that can clean your teeth of acids. Chocolate, toffee that can stick on teeth for a long time can increase your risk of developing tooth decay.

A risk factor in tooth decay:  

Anyone with teeth has a risk of getting tooth decay. Some factors which you can control while some factors you cannot control.

Things you can control could be limiting sugar intake, alcohol, following good oral hygiene, using fluoride toothpaste, and avoiding tobacco.  

Factors that are not in your control are age, using medicines that contain sugar, and respiratory problems that dry out your mouth like asthma.

Infants and toddlers are at higher risk as they drink milk only with a bottle which occurs when a child is put on the bed with a bottle filled with juice, milk, or formula. The sugar in these liquids feeds bacteria that can cause tooth decay. Teeth in young children are still growing so the minerals in these teeth are not stable making it easier for acids to attack them and eat away the teeth’ enamel.

Diagnosis and prevention of tooth decay:

In the early stage of tooth decay, it may appear as white spot-on teeth, more advanced stage will appear as black spot or hole in the tooth. A dentist can go for an x-ray report to detect decay, while your dentist can also check if a sensitive tooth is soft or sticky.

To prevent tooth decay start brushing twice a day, flossing, and using mouthwash once a day to improve your oral health. Regular dental checkups will help the dentist in spotting early stages of tooth decay by removing all plaque from the tooth.

Treatment of tooth decay:

A small amount of tooth decay on your enamel may be treated by using medicated mouthwash or toothpaste that contains a high level of fluoride.  A small cavity is repaired by performing filling while a large cavity may require Inlay or Onlay or even a crown to protect its structure.

To save the decayed tooth with an abscess, a root canal treatment needs to be done. Once the infection is removed from a tooth, the chamber is sealed and the tooth is restored with a crown.

If the tooth cannot be saved, your dentist will go for extraction but the dentist will treat this as a last resort.

Tips When Looking For The Perfect Dentist

It’s a very important decision to make while selecting a dentist as you need to be sure you find the right dentist. However, making a selection is not simple as it sounds. It could take a good amount of time and effort, here are some tips to find the perfect dentist.

Get referrals: you can start by listing down potential dentists. To do this you can ask your friends, family, and other healthcare providers you know for recommendations. Take time and research on the internet, social media about the reviews patients have mentioned about dentists in your list. After the list narrows down, you call each dentist to book an appointment to make face-to-face interaction.

Aim for convenience: this does not mean that you should select a dentist based on proximity to your home. You should also consider working hours so that it should be easy to schedule an appointment without affecting your job. You might consider that dentist who provides late hours on working days or even a few odd hours on weekends.

Be sure if a dentist can handle emergency visits: the dentist whom you are selecting can handle any emergency dental situation reason being some refer emergencies elsewhere. You should ask them how they will manage dental emergencies that occur after office hours and how to reach the dentist in that case.

Go through dentist credentials: to verify dentist education and credential’s the most important factor can be board certified. It tells you about the necessary training, skills and experience dentist has pursued in general dentistry. Also, to confirm that dentist has no history of malpractice or disciplinary actions.

Ask about telehealth capabilities: dentists can diagnose and can even treat some patients using technology like two-way video calls, email it’s called telehealth. Telehealth can never replace hand-on in-person office visits but for some patients, it can lower down their trips to the dentist’s clinic. Some dental conditions can also be managed by sending symptoms and vital signs collected at home and can have a virtual clinic visit. Telehealth can be used for minor complaints as well as for routine follow-ups making it a convenient option.

Communication style: try to choose a dentist with whom you are comfortable talking and who answers the information you need. When you first make an appearance with a dentist ask a question and notice how he or she reacts to your question. Does he or she welcomes your question and provides an answer which you can understand. Find a dentist who shows interest in your question and understands your treatment preference.

Know about insurance benefits:  if you want to take benefits of your insurance, then you want to find a dentist who is part of your provider’s network. This will save you a lot of expense and make dental care convenient, especially if the office submits the insurance claims for you.

Check if the office is clean and organized:  check for safety if staff is wearing gloves, how rooms are like, and technology they use during treatment. Try to go through the entire clinic for a look before making an appointment with the dentist.