Tag: brushing your teeth

Brushing Your Teeth: Answers to 5 Common Teeth Brushing Questions

Posted on by drbalog

A lot of people have questions when it comes to brushing their teeth. How often should I replace my toothbrush? How much toothpaste do I really need? It may seem straightforward, but some of the answers to the most common teeth brushing questions may shock you.

What’s Better: A Regular or Power Toothbrush?

Both types of toothbrushes can get the job done. If you tend to get more plaque buildup or have trouble brushing by yourself, a power toothbrush may be a better option for you. Regardless if you choose a regular or power brush, always look for the ADA Seal of Acceptance as they have been tested and verified safe for your teeth.

How Often Should I Replace My Toothbrush?

You should change your toothbrush every three to four months, or once a season. While your dentist gives you a new toothbrush at your biannual visit, make sure you are changing them between your appointments as well. The toothbrush bristles wear out over time and won’t be able to keep your teeth as clean.

How Much Toothpaste Do I Need To Use?

The full length of your toothbrush’s bristles. Adults and children age 3 and older should use a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste, and children younger than 3 should use fluoride toothpaste the size of a grain of rice. Again, make sure to use a toothpaste with an ADA Seal of Acceptance.

Which is Best: Hard, Medium or Soft Bristles?

Firm or medium bristles can cause damage to your enamel or gums, so always choose soft. In fact, all brushes with the ADA Seal of Acceptance are soft! When brushing your teeth, only brush hard enough to scrub the film off your teeth. Your fluoride toothpaste will the rest.

How Often Should I Brush My Teeth?

Brush your teeth twice a day. Once when you wake up in the morning and once before you go to bed.

Conclusion

A few healthy habits can keep both your body and your teeth in good shape. Remember to brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and floss between your teeth daily. In addition, eating a healthy diet and limiting sugary beverages and snacks will minimize your chance of tooth decay, keeping your mouth happy and healthy. If you have any questions about brushing or need recommendations for toothbrushes, contact our office today.

Protect Your Teeth: 10 Tips for At-Home Dental Care

Posted on by drbalog

Most of the time, after a routine dental visit you will most likely leave with a new toothbrush to replace our old one. We recommend changing your toothbrush every 3 – 4 months, depending on how rigorous you brush and how worn the bristles are on your toothbrush. But as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, Monroe, MI residents aren’t seeing their dentist and therefore aren’t getting a new toothbrush to replace the old one.

This is just one example of how you need to think differently about your dental health. When you might have relied on that dental visit for your next toothbrush, you need to make it a priority to change your toothbrush on your own. Not a huge issue, but home care is the most important line of defense you can have against dental health issues.

While the dental community’s advice for home care isn’t any different, it does require much more attention to detail in order to be as effective as possible. After all, it isn’t clear when you will be able to schedule your next appointment. All the more reason to do everything you can to protect your teeth from plaque. Here are 10 important aspects of your home dental care.


  • Replace your tooth brush every 3-4 months
  • Don’t go to bed without brushing your teeth
  • Brush for two minutes, twice a day
  • Hold your toothbrush at 45-degree angle and use short strokes
  • Floss or clean between teeth once a day
  • Make sure to use a fluoride toothpaste approved by the ADA
  • Drink more water
  • Eat crunchy fruits and vegetables
  • Limit sugary and acidic foods
  • Don’t use your teeth to open bottles or rip packages

While you might be following these tips exactly, accidents happen. Our office is still open to handle emergencies. We are following the American Dental Association’s (ADA’s) recommendation as it relates to emergency and urgent dental treatment. Here’s how the ADA characterizes each:

Emergencies are “are potentially life threatening and require immediate treatment to stop ongoing tissue bleeding, alleviate severe pain or infection.”

Urgent dental care “focuses on the management of conditions that require immediate attention to relieve severe pain and/or risk of infection and to alleviate the burden on hospital emergency departments. These should be treated as minimally invasively as possible.”

For more information on the difference between emergency and urgent dental care, click here. If you have questions about a particular dental situation you have, contact us today and we will reach out ASAP to determine if we can treat you. Stay safe!