As dentists, we constantly stress the importance of great oral hygiene habits: seeing your dentist at least twice a year for a regular checkup, brushing and flossing at least twice daily for two minutes a day, and maintaining a low-sugar, healthy diet to reduce chances of tooth decay.
Some patients want to know more than that. They want to know the best tools for proper brushing and flossing. We can’t blame them — there are a LOT of options out there! So what is the best toothbrush and toothpaste to use?
Gairhan Dental Care is familiar with the varieties of toothbrushes and toothpaste out there. We know all the choices can be overwhelming, so we want to provide a few guidelines that can help you make the right choice for your oral health.
What’s the Best Toothbrush to Use?
If you’ve walked down the tooth brush/tooth paste aisle at the store, you probably know there are dozens of options for toothbrushes available. Colors, styles, manual, electric, “indicator” bristles, plain bristles, soft, medium…it’s a lot to take in! So what do you look for in a good toothbrush?
There are two main types of toothbrushes — manual and electric. Either toothbrush is fine to use, though electric toothbrushes tend to do a better job.
However, small children may not have the coordination to use an electric toothbrush well. For them, a manual toothbrush may be the better way to go. Adults and teenagers, however, would do better with an electric toothbrush because it has better scrubbing power and may have better reach than a manual toothbrush.
Do Toothbrush Bristles Matter?
It’s also important to get the right toothbrush bristles. The best choice is soft bristles, particularly if you have sensitive teeth and gums. Medium bristles are stiffer and can irritate your gums, especially if they are already irritated. Children need soft bristles because they tend to press harder sometimes when they brush, and you don’t want them doing damage to their teeth and gums.
Some toothbrushes come with colored bristles that fade over time. This can be a good option if you forget to change your toothbrush (manual) or toothbrush head (electric) every three months or so.
Once the bristles are faded, it’s time to change your toothbrush. This keeps bacteria from building up in your toothbrush. It also keeps the bristles strong and fully effective. Bent, dulled bristles don’t clean as well.
What Is the Best Toothpaste to Use?
As many toothbrushes as there are available, it seems there are twice as many types of toothpaste. Once again, the options can be overwhelming.
Which flavor is best? Do you want cavity protection, tartar control, or enamel protection…or aren’t those the same things? What about sensitive toothpaste? What about whitening toothpaste?
There is one thing you need to look for when choosing the right toothpaste: fluoride. Luckily, nearly every toothpaste available has fluoride, so that should make your search very easy. After that, it’s a question of preference because most toothpaste types are very similar. If you do have tooth sensitivity, sensitive toothpaste may offer a little extra protection.
Wanting whiter teeth? There are plenty of teeth whitening products to whiten your teeth at home. However, when it comes to tooth whitening, doing that professionally is the best way to whiten teeth. Gairhan Dental Care offers professional whitening treatments as part of its cosmetic dentistry services that deliver results in as little as one visit.
That’s far better than whitening toothpaste or teeth whitening strips, which can take weeks or months to produce any noticeable results. Also, if you do have sensitive teeth, whitening toothpaste may cause your teeth to from a weakening of tooth enamel.
The bottom line is the best toothpaste is fluoride toothpaste, so look for that first. After that, the choice is yours.
Does Charcoal Toothpaste Work?
Some people have asked about using charcoal toothpaste, which is supposed to whiten teeth. It does this because there are abrasives in the toothpaste that essentially buff stains from your teeth. While this is OK for occasional use, daily use of charcoal toothpaste can wear down your enamel. Your teeth can feel more sensitive, and the weakened enamel could make your teeth more vulnerable to tooth decay.
We don’t recommend using charcoal toothpaste, but if you do use it, use it very sparingly. Do not use charcoal or any whitening toothpaste if you have braces. It could change the color of your teeth around the brackets while keeping them the same under them.
That means that when your braces are removed, you will have dark squares in the center of every tooth. That’s definitely not going to look good!
Dental Cleanings in Jonesboro, AR
Gairhan Dental Care serves patients in the Jonesboro, AR, area and provides dental care from general cleanings to tooth whitening to crowns and veneers. We are happy to offer advice on the best way to brush your teeth to keep your teeth clean and healthy because we know your oral health affects your overall health.
Unhealthy teeth can’t chew food properly, and you may not want to eat if you have a mouthful of painful teeth! That’s why good oral hygiene is so important. Regular visits to your dentist for a thorough exam and cleaning is also important. You need to visit your dentist for a checkup once every six months.
If your teeth need a good cleaning, schedule an appointment with us, and let us give you a clean, polished smile. We will examine your mouth for any signs of tooth decay or gum disease and will treat any issues we find. Your oral health is important to us. We’re here for you when you need us!
