Tooth Brush and Spit – DON’T Rinse

Since 1999, when John Featherstone PhD published his new data on the mechanisms of Fluoride in oral fluoride mouth rinse after brushing for the express purpose of leaving fluoride on their teeth.  The same concept can be accomplished by merely leaving the residual toothpaste on your teeth.

health, I and many prevention oriented colleagues have promoted the concept that one should not rinse after brushing one’s teeth.  Just spit the excess foam out and leave the residual toothpaste on your teeth.  After all, don’t we tell you the same after your dental appointment where we give you a fluoride application and tell you not to eat or rinse for 30 minutes?  Many folks will use a

If you like to rinse with a mouthwash for other than a fluoride based reason, then I would recommend waiting at least 30 minutes after brushing if you are going to use a non-fluoride mouth rinse.

Is a Waterpik better than Flossing?

Is a Waterpik better than flossing?

They actually have different purposes. Flossing removes plaque (bacterial biofilm) from teeth to prevent it from creating cavities, gingivitis and periodontitis. It is also effective removing irritating and unsightly bits and pieces of food.

 The Waterpik and other oral irrigation devices are excellent for removing food stuff from hard to reach places like periodontal defects caused by periodontitis and the nooks and crannies around braces.  However the Waterpik will not remove the sticky biofilm called plaque and that is what creates the acids and toxins that damage teeth and gums.

If you want to improve your oral health you will need something mechanically abrasive like the floss and toothbrush and other oral health instruments to rub that plaque off.

Cavity Germs (plaque) Finder

Cavity Germs (plaque) Finder.

Sally, if you were a tasty bug and you were hiding in the grass so a bird would not find you and eat you, what color would you like to be?

Sally: "Green!"

Exactly! So if you are a cavity causing germ hiding on a tooth, what color would you be?

Sally: "White?"

Right again!  That makes them invisible on your teeth. So when you brush your teeth, how do you know if you got them clean?

Sally, "Hmmm. I don't know. I can't see the germs."

2 Minutes 2 Times

Brush your child's teeth for 2 minutes, 2 times a day!

As I have told you in previous blogs, doing fillings and crowns on teeth does not improve oral health or dental health. Effective prevention of dental disease requires a little simple education of the patient and the desire to have healthy, cavity free beautiful smiles. With that in mind the California Dental Association and American Academy of Pediatric Dentists and 12 other organizations have started a nationwide educational program designed to help patients improve their own oral health and prevent cavities.


2min2x.org is the website it will originate from and where you can find all the information needed to create oral health for you and your children. It includes great videos to educate, entertain and motivate your children to want and achieve good oral health.  Check it out!

Winning With Smiles - Pediatric Dentistry
Meadow Vista, California 95722

Clean Molars, Ugly Smile?

CLEAN MOLARS, UGLY SMILE?

At every check-up for our patients we use disclosing solution to display for our patients where their most recent brushing/flossing was successful and where it was lacking.  We then give them the opportunity to take brush and/or floss and do a "practice" cleaning of their own teeth.  This helps them feel what they need to do differently to improve their cleaning effectiveness.  We also have "disclosing tablets" on hand for them to take home and do little training sessions themselves at home.

Most patients are surprised to find they are cleaning their molars more effectively than their front teeth.  Most of us think we are getting our front teeth the cleanest and need more effort in the back.  The truth is, the cheek muscles have little leverage against the tooth brush and so the brush gets the whole tooth easily.  The lips, on the other hand, are great protectors of our gums around our front teeth.  Their orientation allows them to interfere with the tooth brush and handle, preventing the brush from quite reaching the gum line.  The end result can be devastating!

Clean Teeth-Healthy Teeth, Simple!

CLEAN TEETH - HEALTHY TEETH,  SIMPLE

The reality is very simple. If you want beautiful looking teeth, brush
them well twice a day!

If you want healthy teeth and gums that will last a lifetime, floss
them all once a day.

 And you can get artistic about this too! ...
Don't floss all your teeth, just the ones you want to keep.

Did you know there are no studies that have shown tooth brushing will
prevent cavities?

So take your pick.  You can have beautiful teeth (brush) or you can
have healthy teeth (floss) or you could choose BOTH.

Want to see more tips for your Dental Care, click HERE for ,Scott Thompson,DDS
Winning With Smiles - Pediatric Dentistry

Four Corner Flossing

Cavity free kids and keeping it simple.  Kids who enjoy going to the dentist and consistently belong to the "No Cavity Club." That's what we parents want, right?

After age 3 about 90% of the cavities are in 4 locations.  Between the molars in the 4 corners of the mouth. If I could get parents to spend 10 seconds each evening flossing these 4 spots, it would nearly eliminate all the cavities I have to fix.  And I do mean 10 seconds!

Here is how I did it. At story time each evening the kids brought a book and I brought some floss. Each in turn would lay on the couch with head in my lap, mouth open and looking up at me. It is an easy view of upper and lower teeth and I am not chasing a bobble-head.  Zig zag the floss between the molars so it does not snap as it goes past the tight spot.  Snap it back out.  Four corners and you are finished. After a couple nights practice you will discover this takes about 10 seconds, really!