Spring cleaning

Spring has sprung! The yard is starting to get a green haze and when I look close, I see the tiny little shoots of grass growing up through the dead brown winter kill. The robins are back, the chipmunks and raccoons have left their hibernation beds. There are so many signs of spring around us. It won’t be long and we’ll be able to listen for frogs peeping in the evening, we will be cutting our grass and planting our gardens. Spring brings chores. Raking the yard, washing windows, dusting and a good thorough spring clean of the house are annual chores that many of us do this time of year. When I think of spring cleaning, I can’t help but think about teeth too!

Albeit, this spring is a little different than most. Many people who normally have their teeth professionally cleaned in the spring are unable to do so this year. However, I do have some tips and reminders for everyone to consider for their own mouths.

2 for 2

First, let’s chat about toothbrushing. Whether you use a manual toothbrush or a power toothbrush you should be brushing “2 for 2.” That’s brushing twice daily for two minutes each time.  It takes most people two minutes to do a thorough cleaning of their teeth. Although studies show that most adults brush for only 40 seconds … and if you have ever watched a child brush you know it is an amazing feat to get them to brush for at least 30 seconds. However all of the hard to reach areas are missed or skimmed over if a two minute brushing is not completed.
The recommendation for twice daily brushing wasn’t just a number pulled out of the sky either. Twice daily plaque removal is what most humans need to prevent enamel damage due to plaque sitting on the teeth. By brushing twice daily you allow the microscopic damage to your enamel — caused by plaque and food debris sitting on your teeth — to repair in your natural saliva flow and the remineralizing agents in your toothpaste. This is important for long term strength and health of your teeth.

In between

Brushing is great to clean the majority of your tooth structure above the gum tissue, but what about the area in between your teeth? That’s where flossing comes in. Now, many of my clients know that I am not stuck on flossing. It is not the only way to clean in between your teeth. However, it is the only method to clean the contact area where the teeth touch each other as well as the space below that contact area where many of us get food debris stuck. It is so important to clean these areas at least once daily to prevent enamel damage, and gingivitis a form of gum disease.

Just because floss is the best way to clean in between teeth doesn’t mean that it’s the only way. Many people come into the Clinic and tell me that they hate flossing, can’t floss, won’t floss, don’t even want to talk about floss. So instead of shaking a finger at them, or giving them a lesson on flossing my way, we try something new. There are great little brushes on the market now to clean between your teeth. They look like plastic toothpicks with rubber bristles on the end. There are also proxybrushes for people with bigger spacing between their teeth that look like a pipe cleaner on a handle. These tools are much easier to
use. You slide them in between the teeth right at the gumline. Once the stick is positioned in between your teeth you do a small sawing motion in and out of the space to clean both teeth and the gum tissue in that space. The trick to using these brushes properly is to insert them in between the teeth from the cheek side, but then also in the same space from the tongue side or inside your mouth which can be a bit trickier.
Do this by feel instead of looking in a mirror. You will find it much easier without the backward visual to mess you up!

Rinse

Now let’s chat about mouthwash. I myself am not a huge mouthwash fan. The number one selling mouthwash brand boasts that they will reduce your plaque and gingivitis by 1/3 … and if you read the tiny asterisk at the bottom of the advertisement it says “with 3 times daily brushing and flossing” … anyone else see the irony in this? It makes me laugh because if any of us brushed and flossed 3 times daily we would have at least 1/3 reduction in plaque, likely better. So please don’t be fooled by the advertisements. Mechanical removal of plaque and stimulation of the gum tissue is far more effective than rinsing.

If you feel the need to rinse your mouth that is fine. But consider why you feel that way. Are you having problems with bad breath? Maybe tongue scraping would be more effective. Is it the clean, smooth feeling you like?  Brush your teeth for a full two minutes and you will feel clean. Is it to heal gingivitis? Try baking soda and water, clinically I see it is far more effective!

Lastly, don’t beat yourself up about the cleanliness of your teeth. Do the best you can. If you have tartar buildup on your teeth there is no at home solution or tool that will remove it, but you can keep it clean, and clean around it to keep your gum tissue healthy while you wait to see you dental hygienist! For short video demonstrations of how to take care of your oral health, please visit Youtube.com and subscribe to my channel. You just have to search Barry’s Bay Dental Hygiene Clinic to find me. Or go to my website www.bbdhc.ca and click on the ‘Big News’ tab where you can find a list of my video library on YouTube.

Stay healthy, and keep smiling!

About the author: Marcia Rutledge is an independent dental hygienist  who owns and operates the Barry’s Bay Dental Hygiene Clinic. Preventive dentistry is Marcia’s passion.

photo wooden toothbrushes castorly stock on pexels.com