How does your dental hygienist know when you aren’t brushing a flossing properly? Magic?  Of course not.   Columbus Dentist offers magical teeth cleaning in Columbus Ohio.  I can see the headline now! It’s the gunk man!

She knows when you’ve been flossing… she knows when you don’t brush, she knows when you’ve been bad or good…. so just brush and floss for goodness sake… OH!  You better watch out…..

A dental Hygienst has a very up close and personal relationship with your teeth when she is doing your professional teeth cleaning.   She see things you can’t see and she cleans “gunk” off your teeth that regular brushing can’t.  I mean she literally has a tool where she can gently scrape the tartar and plaque(aka gunk) off your teeth in a big strip.  Bad brushing = a big strip of yech stuff! 

In addition, when she flosses your teeth, if there is bleeding…. she knows you haven’t been flossing.  No magic there. 

Many people stop flossing because they see blood when they rinse.  Don’t stop flossing.  Keep it up for a few days and it will go away, unless you have a more serious condition like gum disease.  See a dentist if you have questions about the bleeding.

Some patients think we are just joking when we ask if they have had trouble brushing  their back teeth.  Or that we ask every patient “How often do you floss?” or “How often do you brush?”  Watch our videos on how to brush and floss.

I hate to spoil the mystic but we are just trying to start the conversation because we know you haven’t been doing an adequate job because of the gunk!  Just like Santa… we know if you’ve been bad or good!

If you are looking for a dentist in Columbus Ohio, we invite you to make an appointment today.  We’ll take care of you and your smile and keep your mouth gunk free.

Oral-B toothbrush

• Easier to brush your teeth
• 2 minute timer so you know your are brushing thoroughly
• Better check-ups at the dentist.  Both you and your dentist will notice a difference
• Parents usually appreciate a practical gift and once they start using it they will never go back to a manual brush

 Check out our other post “What’s so great about an electronic tooth brush“

As with everything you want to keep for a long time, teeth need to be taken care of.  You need to brush and floss your teeth everyday at home and you need to see a dentist on a regular basis.

I see patients all the time that have a cracked tooth, or part of their tooth has broken off.  Many times I hear “Doc, I was taking a bite of bread and my tooth broke”  or “I bit into a pretzel and that’s what broke my tooth”.

Well, your teeth are strong.  Many circumstances can cause a tooth to deteriorate and breakdown.    Typically a tooth takes months or even years to break down until the final blow with the “bread” or “pretzel” causes a piece to break off.

Anything that falls off a  tooth because of eating a piece of bread was going to fall off anyway.  Or to put another way, it was already broken before you even thought about eating the bread.

Except for face trauma, a tooth has been weaken and broken down long before it breaks.

In addition, a trip to the dentist for a cleaning or a check with the dentist does not break a tooth.  Healthy teeth are strong.  At times a cleaning might be fairly vigorous because the teeth have a lot of build of plaque or tartar or the patient my perceive that there is a lot of  “poking” going on and that’s why my tooth broke.

But as stated earlier, your tooth is not going to break because of one “event” like a cleaning or taking a bite of food.  Teeth break down over time because of many factors such as use/age, types of foods and drinks that you consume, and lack of regular maintenance at home or at the dentist.

A trama to the face is the only thing that is going to make a healthy tooth break… all of a sudden.

A healthy smile should be a goal for everyone.  You can get a healthy smile with some work on your part and also the help and support of your friendly Columbus dental office, Grandview Dental Care.

Here are a few things you should know about getting and keeping a healthy smile.

• Routine brushing and flossing at home, done correctly, is essential to maintaining your dental health, AND it’s inexpensive!
• Make and effort to brush 2 times per day for 2 minutes each time you brush.
• Flossing needs to become a habit. A wise ole’ dentist once said… you don’t have to floss all your teeth…. just the teeth you want to keep!
• Sipping on sugary drinks for extended periods causes the sugar to be in constant contact with your teeth which can accelerate tooth decay.
• Visit your dentist and hygienist every 6 months, unless you have special needs, like gum disease.  Then, you may need to visit every 3 – 4 months…. because you are special.
• Remember that your teeth play an important part in getting you through your day. You use them to chew, speak, smile, smooch, etc.
• Normal everyday wear and tear will leave your teeth feeling and looking used!  Visiting your dentist restores your teeth and mouth with that smooth, fresh, clean feeling once again.
• Early detection of tooth problems is cheaper than avoiding the dentist for years.
• Decay left untreated does not go away it just escalates into more decay and a bigger “bad spot” in your tooth.
• Don’t wait until it hurts or it’s broken.  Pain can usually be avoided if you visit your dentist regularly and you take care of problems when they are small.
• The routine filling you decided not to treat years ago has now turned into a root canal and crown which can cost more than 5 times as much as the original filling.
• Everybody needs a dentist.  If you want your teeth to look good and function for a lifetime, you must take care of them.
• Remember that your auto insurance(that you pay $500+ per yr)  does not pay for car washes or oil changes but you do them anyway to maintain your car.  Don’t let your dental insurance dictate how you will maintain a health smile.
• Dental Insurance was designed to pay a portion of some of your dental needs.  If it paid for all of your dental needs you would pay more for it than you do now.
• Ready to take the next step towards your healthy smile?  Make an appointment with us today by calling 614-486-7378 or click for a dental appointment.