Although the discipline of dentistry is considered to be one of prevention, many patients still believe it is normal to have scraping and bleeding at a cleaning. In fact, cleanings are called, “prophylaxis,” which means, “prevention.” Many people are unaware that the formation of tartar is almost entirely preventable. It is physiologically impossible to develop tartar if you are removing the plaque, on all surfaces of the teeth, on a regular basis. Dentistry is considered a field in which prevention is possible. The six month cleaning should not be perceived as a time when the patient has enough build up, or tartar, that it must be removed by a professional.

My goal, as a dentist, is to have patients understand that tartar is not normal and it is a sign that they are missing the same areas on a regular basis. Tartar is simply plaque that has been undisturbed long enough to mix with the calcium in the saliva and form tartar. It is our job to not only remove any tartar, but also inform you that it is a disease process and it is not healthy to have it. If you have so much tartar that you feel you need a cleaning, it is possible your gums are infected enough that you have started to develop periodontal disease.

It is the doctor’s job to perform a complete periodontal examination every check-up. During this exam, every pocket should be measured and all areas should be checked for signs of inflammation or bleeding. In theory, if a patient is seeing a dentist on a regular basis, the doctor should identify any areas of inflammation, or bleeding. They should also show the patient where those areas are located and how to clean them effectively, thus preventing the progression to periodontal disease. We want our focus to be on teaching you and empowering you how to avoid disease in your mouth, rather than treating diseases that occur while you are seeing us. A dental prophylaxis should involve teaching the patient how to prevent disease.

HOW TO BRUSH PROPERLY

IMPORTANT: Always use a soft synthetic toothbrush, as the natural and coarser synthetic brushes can damage your teeth and gums.

Many people were taught to use small circular strokes, with the tooth brush, at the gum line. This technique has fooled many people into thinking they are doing an adequate job of brushing their teeth.

The key is to think like bacteria: they like moist, warm places. They also colonize every surface of the teeth and form a protective coating on the teeth. This coating cannot be removed with water, mouthwash or toothpaste. The only way to “pop” its protective shell is with a soft toothbrush. The two most important factors are: -touching every spot on each tooth that is exposed to saliva, including the protected areas between the gums and teeth and touching every tooth. Many people miss the same teeth every time they brush.

• Angle your brush at a 45 degree angle into the space between the tooth and gum ( on the lower teeth, angle the bristles down). Gently work the soft bristles into that space. Once you feel contact, move to the next tooth. Start at one place in the mouth and don’t stop until all of the surfaces of the teeth have been touched (front, back, top, between the teeth).
• The reason why circular brushing, at the gum line, does not work is because the bristles never access the bacteria tucked in the flap of tissue surrounding each tooth. The bacteria reside on the teeth, not the gums.
• Start at the upper right back molar and move counter-clockwise around the mouth, touching the front of every top tooth, wrap around the upper left tooth and brush the back sides of each tooth, maintaining the bristles in a 45 degree angle (work bristles between tooth and gum). Then start on the lower right and repeat.
• Pay attention when you brush your teeth. Until you form new habits, you will have to be deliberate in your new tooth brushing technique.
  You should spend about 30 seconds on each quadrant, when you brush, which is a total of 2 minutes, to brush the entire mouth. You should do this twice a day.

FLOSSING

Floss is simply a tool that can access the harmful bacteria the toothbrush can’t reach. That is why utilizing your toothbrush to its maximum potential will minimize the amount of work left for the floss.

Flossing between the teeth removes the day’s dirt just like cleaning between your toes after wearing wool socks on a hot day. If you were to keep those smelly socks on your feet for day after day of wear, the toes would begin to ulcerate and become infected. The mouth is much less tolerant of bacteria than our toes, however, and leaving any bacteria behind can cause your gums to become infected very quickly.

After brushing properly, 1/3 of the total surface area of the
teeth are still dirty; that is the area between the teeth. The goal of flossing is to remove the dirt and bacteria where the brush missed. With that in mind, gently guide the floss thru the contact and gently adapt the floss to the sides of each tooth-don't hurt the tissue directly below the contact by snapping the floss onto it.

Flossing should not be considered optional. It should be done every day, once a day.

Let us help you master this easy technique-it is an easy, inexpensive way to improve your health.

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