Ok… we try to remain positive in this Blog but today we are going to talk about some dental bad habits that you really need to try and stop doing.

1. Sipping on a sugary beverage all day long.  Don’t sip on pop all day (yes Mountain Dew lovers we are talking to you) It will destroy your teeth.  You are feeding the bacteria in your mouth a constant diet of sugar.  This converts to acid and destroys your teeth.
2. Skip Flossing.  You’ve heard it before… and I’m saying it again.  If you brush your teeth faithfully but skip the flossing you’ve cleaned only 1/2 of each tooth.  The space between your teeth is the most decay prone part of the tooth.  If you don’t floss, you aren’t cleaning it.  Make flossing a part of your routine and you will be amazed at how much better your teeth feel.  Flossing also helps keep your breath fresh.  Floss your teeth… smooch more! 
3. Eating Sugary Food just before bed.   If you are a diligent, efficient brusher and flosser and you’ve removed all the plaque from your teeth before “lights out” then this is a minimal bad habit.  But… it might be easiest just to skip the sweet tooth right before bed.
4. Taking care of only your visible teeth.  As the saying goes “You don’t have to brush all your teeth…. just the ones you want to keep!”  That goes for flossing too.
5. Ignoring Dental Problems.  The persistent tooth pain or throb, bleeding gums, pain on one side of your mouth so you chew on the other.  This stuff is NOT temporary and will not go away if you ignore it.  Things that you use, need to be maintained…you use your teeth so make sure you see a dentist 2 times per year and if your tooth hurts… call your dentist!

I love my electric toothbrush!  I recently got back from a week of vacation where I didn’t pack my electric toothbrush.  I figured I could do just as good of a job with my manual oral B and some floss.  Come on! I work in a dental office I must know what I’m doing!

Well, I am glad to have my electric toothbrush back.  It gets off the daily sludge and makes my teeth feel all smooth and slippery and clean, almost like I just came from my cleaning with the Hygienist.  So what electric toothbrush do I use?  I like the Oral B model, The Oral-B Triumph™ ProfessionalCare™ 9400.  It’s got the 2 minute timer which vibrates at 30 second intervals so I can switch to different areas of my mouth(or just know how much longer I have to brush if I keep track of the vibrations…. which I rarely do.  I’m not a total dental geek)  I’ve also used the Oral B 7550 which is cheaper and works well too. Oral B also sells a version with a wireless Smartguide which I don’t really get the point of why you would need a remote that tells you how long you’ve brushed.  I mean, that is geeky!

Plus we get the Oral B electric toothbrushes for a lot less than they sell them at the Big Box retailers and we pass that savings on to our patients so they too can enjoy the smooth clean feeling everyday.  So, if you are thinking about getting an electric toothbrush, ask your dentist what model they recommend and whether or not they sell them at a discount. 

With an electronic toothbrush you will not only notice a difference everyday but your dentist and dental hygienist will probably also notice a difference at your next appointment.

Ok, so it’s not the most pleasant dinner topic but let’s face it, we’ve all been around others when their breath has been a little overwhelming. 

We all know that bad breath can spoil our dates, business meetings, and social interactions in general.  We may be annoying others even without knowing it.  Are there simple steps you can take to ensure that your mouth doesn’t stink.  Yes, there are.  Bad breath does not necessarily mean that there is a dental problem, but seeing your dentist on a regular basis can make sure that there isn’t a problem.

The simplest factors causing bad breath are:

• Consumption of tobacco and alcohol
• Deposits on the tongue
• Food particles inside the mouth

Here are quick and easy steps to follow to avoid bad breath:

• Brush your teeth after every meal.  Yes, you’ve heard this a million times before, but that only emphasizes how important a step it is.  Hidden food particles in the mouth decay, producing micro-organisms, which in turn release bad odor.  EEEWWW!  Micro-critters hanging out in your mouth!  You don’t want that.
• Floss, floss, floss.  Yep, another one you’ve heard before.  But flossing regularly gets rid of the food particles stuck between your teeth.  And if you’ve ever been brave enough to sniff your floss afterwards…. it doesn’t smell pretty.
• Rinse your mouth thoroughly with a good mouthwash a couple times during the days when you feel you have bad breath or after your morning coffee.
• Drink plenty of water.  Bacteria thrives in a dry mouth. 
• Cleanse your tongue regularly to combat bad breath.  Using your tooth brush works.
• See you dentist every 6 months or more often depending on your periodontal needs.  It’s a quick appointment, and you end up with clean, smooth, teeth and fresh breath.