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Why Should We Clean Our Tongue?

Our tongue is a magnet for bugs (of all kinds)!Do we need to brush (or otherwise scrape and clean) our tongue? And the answer is yes. But why? We don’t chew food with our tongue. We cannot get a cavity on our tongue. No matter how much (or how little) we floss it won’t make a difference to our tongue. So why do we need to brush our tongue?

The answer has to do with the anatomy of the tongue. In spite of our tongue feeling nice and smooth to us, it has thousands upon thousands of tiny folds and grooves on it. And in these folds and grooves is where the tiny bacteria can hide. The same bacteria that cause tooth decay or gum disease find a nice home in the nooks and crannies on the tongue. Not only that, but plaque also becomes trapped in these tiny grooves. The bacteria then use the plaque to proliferate (e.g. multiply). So our tongue then becomes a safe haven for bacteria and it is this bacterial content along with the plaque that causes bad breath.

Fortunately, we can clean our tongues easily (way easier than flossing!). There are 2 main ways of cleaning your tongue. We are not talking about rinsing with mouthwashes (although that helps too). We are talking about mechanically cleaning our tongue. One way is to use your toothbrush after you have brushed your teeth. Gently brush forward on the tongue starting as far back as you can without making yourself gag. Just remember, don’t push hard. Gently brush forward. Do this a few times trying to cover the entire surface of the tongue (just the top side, no need to brush the bottom side).

Tongue scrapers great from cleaning the tongueAnother option is to use a “tongue scraper.” These are made of plastic and allow for simple cleaning of the tongue rather quickly. You fold these like a “U” shape and just run it over the tongue (back to front).

Not only cleaning your tongue will make your breath fresher, it will also open up your taste buds. You can once again begin tasting the food in your mouth without all the bugs and bacteria impairing your taste buds. Be sure to visit our web store to find tongue scrapers and other hygiene-related products.

Happy “tonguing!”

Platinum Dental Inc. Blogging Staff

 

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How Often Should You See the Dentist?

Dentist visit can be pleasant. Visit dentist at least twice a year for checkups.Most people wonder how often they should see the dentist to have their teeth checked.  Some people only consider going to the dentist if they have some type of pain or discomfort. Others only go when “the insurance pays for it” and still others don’t set foot in a dentist’s office for years without giving it a second thought.

Most people should see the dentist at least twice a year for routine checkups and cleanings. Much like your car getting a tune-up at recommended intervals, so should the teeth. Some patients need to see the dentist more frequently for the treatment of chronic diseases (like gum disease) and such.

People often “fear the dentist” because of the anticipated pain. This same group of people often refuse to go to the dentist ’til something is really wrong and hurting them. So they are already primed with pain and fear of what will happen even before they see the dentist.

Ignoring an occasional toothache or a small chipped tooth can lead to bigger problems in the long run. Visiting the dentist at least twice a year will help catch and detect these problems when they are smaller and easier to fix.

If you haven’t seen a dentist for a while now,  contact our staff and schedule an appointment for a dental check-up.

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Energy Drinks and Your Teeth

Energy drinks have been on the market for years. And while they all promise more energy to get done whatever it is you want to get done, they make no remarks about the serious side effects for both your overall health and dental health.

Energy drinks increase rate of enamel destruction
Energy drinks are harmful to the teeth

Medical concerns aside, energy drinks have been shown to be quite destructive to the enamel on the teeth, even worse than the dreaded soda! In a lab experiment where teeth were submerged into different drinks, the rate of enamel loss for energy drinks was more than double compared to other “non-energy” drinks like Gatorade.

People that are chronically low on energy should visit their doctor to rule out other problems affecting their energy level, like “hypo-thyroid” where the thyroid gland is not making enough thyroxin. Also vitamin deficiency or lacking other essential minerals will impact the energy levels negatively. The proper amount of restful sleep is also necessary to the body functioning well. Using energy drinks to combat sleepiness or sleep deprivation often times requires multiple energy drinks which will even cause greater harm.

So what’s there to do if you or a loved one is hooked onto these energy drinks? The best solution is to reduce the use and ultimately stop using the product due to its dental and medical side effects. Diluting the drinks is another recommendation as any dilution reduces the acidity that the teeth are exposed to. Also, rinsing out the mouth with water afterwards is also recommended. However, you don’t want to brush your teeth for at least an hour after consuming energy drinks. This is because brushing teeth that have been exposed to acid immediately afterwards causes more destruction of the enamel.

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Toothpaste Types

Toothpastes vary quite a bit in ingredients, flavor and texture.With so many kinds of toothpaste to choose from, where do you start?

What’s important to remember is that the toothpaste needs to be matched to your dental needs. A smoker benefits from “Smoker’s Toothpaste” which has tartar fighting ability. A growing child who loves sweets will want to use a toothpaste containing fluoride.

There are 5 broad categories of toothpaste to choose from.

1. Smoker’s toothpaste: these have tartar fighting ingredients that help remove the stains left on the teeth after smoking.

2. Fluoride toothpaste: these have higher than normal levels of fluoride to aid in keeping teeth healthy and strong and make it less likely for teeth to decay.

3. Sensitive toothpaste: these are intended for older patients. As people age, the gums recede. This exposes the roots of the teeth to the oral cavity. The roots don’t have a layer of enamel on top, so there is moderate sensitivity caused by temperatures and even touch (when brushing).

4. Whitening toothpaste: these kinds of toothpaste are used to keep the teeth white and bright. Some of the newer formulations even contain fluoride to help keep the teeth strong.

5. Natural toothpaste: these are sometimes thought of as healthy, natural alternatives to kinds of toothpaste that contain various chemicals. However, natural toothpastes have not proven to be very effective in keeping the teeth clean.

As a general rule, look for the ADA (American Dental Association) seal of approval on the toothpaste you wish to use. The ADA evaluates the efficacy of toothpaste and approves the ones that are clinically effective.

To learn more about how to take better care of your teeth, contact us for a check-up and cleaning appointment.

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Oil Pulling – Current Facts

oil pulling
Is oil pulling as good as everyone says?

Oil pulling has been touted as a cure-all for everything dental. I think I was reading about all the benefits of oil pulling and it mentioned that oil pulling will even grow money on trees (no just kidding).

Having read thru multiple articles and scouring the scientific data that is available, 2 things have become clear.

The first is that the American Dental Association (Read the ADA article here) doesn’t consider this a valid form of therapy to improve dental health. And much to their credit, I agree with the lack of scientifically proven studies and experiments documenting such benefits. And until there are multiple valid experiments and studies performed, ADA will not change its stance.

The second item noticed was the plethora of people using this technique and reporting amazing results. People swear that their teeth are whiter, gums don’t hurt as much or bleed  and they don’t have bad breath any more.

Oil pulling has been around several thousand years as a form of holistic medicine. The theory is that by swishing a teaspoon of coconut or similar oil in the mouth for 20 minutes at a time, the bad bacteria that is in our mouth get trapped in this oil, which is then spit out.

As a US trained dentist I won’t be recommending oil-pulling to my patients to improve their dental health due to lack of scientifically based evidence. But considering what the people are saying about this technique, I won’t argue with its apparent benefits. Perhaps the best is to use this technique understanding that it is not a cure-for-all diseases, but it can be helpful in the overall scheme to help keep your mouth and teeth healthy.

Platinum Dental, Inc. located in San Marcos California offers the latest technology in dentistry. Visit our website to learn more about Platinum Dental, Inc.