Today we shall discuss some important things to take into consideration when looking after your oral hygiene. We shall have a look at some of the items we use to keep our teeth clean including toothpaste, toothbrushes, flossing and at home teeth whitening kits. What makes each of these products the best option to use when looking after your oral hygiene.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD TOOTHBRUSH?
The key to good dental hygiene is a toothbrush that suits your needs. The biggest mistake people make when purchasing a toothbrush is they believe it needs to be very firm to do a good job. That is not always the case, if your toothbrush is too hard you will end up with sensitive teeth and gums, you should look for a gentle nonabrasive tooth brush. The size of the toothbrush is important as you need to be able to reach into the back of your mouth comfortably to clean your teeth. The bristles of the brush are also important, the bristles are made of nylon and come in different textures usually hard, soft and medium. You should also look for round tips on the bristles as this is a lot gentler on your gums. People think electric tooth brushes work better than holding a brush and doing it manually, this is simply not true so long as you apply gentle pressure and clean your teeth twice a day using a toothbrush yourself works just fine.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD TOOTHPASTE?
Everybody uses toothpaste but how do we know we are using the right toothpaste or a toothpaste that will help maintain clean white teeth. A good toothpaste must contain Calcium Carbonate or Hydrogen peroxide. Fluoride protects and builds enamel on your teeth so it must be an ingredient in the toothpaste you choose. You also want to look at which toothpaste helps provide protection for sensitive gums, there are a lot of brands available now that help provide that protection. Sensodyne extra fresh repair and refresh is a very popular brand promoting a toothpaste specifically for sensitive gums and teeth. Of course, then the only other thing to really look for is the taste, what flavour do you prefer? The most common is mint, when we use a mint flavoured toothpaste our mouth tends to feel clean and fresh afterwards.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD MOUTHWASH?
Oral rinse (mouthwash) is a liquid used to rinse out your gum’s teeth and mouth. Most people use mouth wash to help prevent bad breath and kill germs stuck in their teeth it can also be used to heal mouth sores and remove plaque. It is suggested you should not use a mouth wash straight after brushing and flossing your teeth as you may wash away the fluoride you used to clean your teeth and defeat the purpose. Using a mouthwash does leave your mouth feeling fresh and clean, you want to look for a mouthwash that has the key ingredients needed to give you that feeling these ingredients include anti plaque, anti-bacterial, anti-microbials or anti gingivitis ingredient such as fluoride which fights decay and strengthens the enamel. Cetylpyridinium chloride which eliminates bad breath and kills bacteria. Chlorhexidine reduces plaque and controls gingivitis. It’s important to remember that these ingredients can be harmful if used in large quantities so always follow the direction on the bottle before using.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD TOOTH FLOSS?
Dental floss is made form polytetrafluorethylene, this is a material used to make Gore-Tex fabric which is a durable, waterproof breathable and windproof fabric found in outdoor clothing, foot wear and accessories. This product doesn’t shred easy so is really good for getting between teeth. You want to look for a floss that is glides easily and smoothly through the gaps in your teeth. The water flosser is another option when it comes to flossing. The process is completely different. This is option is particularly good for people with braces who can’t access between their teeth or people with sensitive teeth and gums. Water flossing is actually more affective at removing plaque and helping reduce gingivitis symptoms than string floss.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD TEETH WHITENING KIT?
There are so many different types of at home teeth whitening kits! How do you know you are buying a good one that will actually work? When it comes to teeth whitening kits you want to look for a few things firstly and most importantly the ingredients, you want to make sure the maximum amount of hydrogen is 6% which is 18% Carbamide Peroxide. Any percent higher than that can be damaging to your teeth and gums. If you are using a kit that provides trays to fit over your teeth make sure the trays fit properly, it’s a good idea to soak them in hot water to soften the tray before using this will prevent rubbing on your gums creating tenderness. There are kits available that offer a gel pen instead of a tray fitted over your teeth a gel pen can be rubbed across your teeth which is less likely to spill onto your gums. You want to use a kit that provides a sensitivity gel you can rub on your gums protecting them from the hydrogen peroxide used in the treatment. There are also some good peroxide free at home teeth whitening kits available for those of us with sensitive teeth, these kits provide natural ingredients to treat the stains and discolouring on your teeth and can be a much safer option.
CONCLUSION
Over all when it comes to dental products available there are a lot of different products available, each individual will require different needs. People with sensitive teeth will require something completely different to somebody with braces when looking for dental products. Whether it be a type of toothbrush or toothpaste or whether you have decided to try an at home teeth whitening kit always think carefully before purchasing products for your dental hygiene , you need to be comfortable with the products you chose so as not to cause damage to your teeth enamel or gums, if you have any questions or would like to discuss in detail any of the above topics you can head on over to team@feversmile.com or if you would like to check out our products available to help maintain that pearly white smile check out our website feversmile.com .