The majority of us already know what toothbrushes are better: manual or powered ones. However, not many people understand that the right answer on this question is: the one which you actually use and find the most effective. Undoubtedly, powered toothbrushes can be considered advantageous only because they are newer and more expensive than old-fashioned manual ones. That is why a great deal of us prefer using electric toothbrushes, believing that more costly option is the best and the healthiest. The novelty of such toothbrushes also motivates people for more serious approach to daily dental care procedures.

The market of powered toothbrushes has been developing very fast, and nowadays the variety of electric toothbrushes can be compared to the variety of manual ones. You can find rotating, vibrating, oscillating, pulsating, counter-rotational and other types of electric toothbrushes, available in our shops and pharmacies. When choosing between an electric and manual toothbrush, take into account professional recommendations of your dentist and learn more about the pros and cons of both types of the toothbrushes.

The advantages of electric toothbrushes (in comparison with manual):

• Electric toothbrushes last longer than manual ones.
• Brushing with powered toothbrushes require minimal efforts and less brushing force, that is why they are especially suitable for children.
• Electric toothbrushes cause less damage to your gums and tooth enamel because the majority of them have pressure sensors.
• Brushing with electric toothbrush requires minimal skills.
• Powered toothbrushes can be effective for those people who have some problems with making the movements necessary for proper brushing (for example, people with arthritis or other physical limitations).
• Buzzing effects of electric toothbrushes have a special positive influence on your teeth that can hardly be achieved using a manual toothbrush.
• The majority of powered toothbrushes have timer, therefore, your toothbrush can let you know when two minutes necessary for effective brushing are up.
• Also, the majority of electric toothbrushes come with toothpaste dispenser.
• Generally, the handles of electric toothbrushes are more ergonomic and comfortable for a firm grasp.

The disadvantages of electric toothbrushes (in comparison with manual):

• Powered toothbrushes are bulky.
• Electric toothbrushes are more expensive than manual ones. The prices for modern powered toothbrushes vary from 30 to 120 dollars.
• It is harder to maneuver electric toothbrushes as effectively as manual ones.
• Since not much of efforts are required, frequently people rely only on vibration and rotation of power toothbrush bristles and fail to clean their teeth and mouth properly.
• As all the electric toothbrushes need battery replacement or recharging, they can be less suitable for traveling.
• Electric toothbrushes can not clean your tongue as good as manual ones because electric toothbrushes do not come with a tongue scraper.
• People with problematic and very sensitive teeth have to use manual toothbrushes as it is impossible to find electric toothbrushes with soft and extra-soft bristles.

Therefore, depending on your personal preferences, you can use either manual or electric toothbrush – both of them will be effective if you like brushing your teeth and do really care about your dental situation. All you have to remember is the fact that not the type of your toothbrush, but the way you brush your teeth, as well as the frequency and duration of your brushing sessions are the most important factors for effective oral hygiene and good health of your teeth.

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Tags: dental care, electric toothbrush, manual toothbrush, powered toothbrush, tooth brushing, toothbrush

Posted: July 29th, 2008 under Effective Brushing.
Comments: 2

It seems like everything is known about the rules and recommendations on how to take care about our teeth effectively. However, day after day new versions of good old principles of dental care appear here and there. As a result, many people still remain confused about the basics of brushing, flossing, whitening and other dental care procedures. Check out the most popular dental myths and related comments of dental specialists.

MYTH: Brushing my teeth several times a day harms the enamel.
TRUTH: This is partially true. Usually, it is enough to brush your teeth two times a day, but if you have an opportunity to brush your teeth more frequently (for example, after every meal), use a soft or extra soft toothbrush.

MYTH: Expensive toothpastes are always better than cheap ones.
TRUTH: It is not always true, and some moderately expensive toothpastes can be very effective. Ask your dentist about the toothpastes that can be good for your particular dental situation.

MYTH: Using a sugarless chewing gum with xylitol after meal can replace brushing and have the same effect.
TRUTH: Not really, but if you can not brush your teeth after every meal, you can use a sugarless chewing gum to clean your teeth and refresh your breath. Do not chew it for more than 10 minutes.

MYTH: I must not brush my teeth if my gums bleed.
TRUTH: Bleeding gums is a sign to see your dentist. However, if you can not do this as soon as possible, you can brush your teeth with a soft or extra soft toothbrush.

MYTH: Placing a tablet of aspirin beside my aching tooth can ease the pain.
TRUTH: Aspirin does not work effectively for relieving toothache. Besides, it damages soft tissues in you mouth. Therefore, it is better to use natural analgesics, such as clover oil or tea tree oil.

MYTH: There is no need in seeing dentist if there is no visible problem with my teeth.
TRUTH: You must see your dentist twice a year, no matter in what condition your teeth are at the moment. Sometimes, only a dentist can see possible problem, and it is always better to start treatment on the earliest stages.

MYTH: If tooth enamel is white, the tooth must be considered healthy.
TRUTH: This is absolutely not true! A tooth can look healthy and white, but, at the same time, it can have cavities, problems with the root or other abnormalities that require treatment.

MYTH: After a decayed tooth is treated, there will be no more decaying there.
TRUTH: There is no guarantee for this. After the treatment, every tooth must be properly cared about: regularly brushed, flossed and so on.

MYTH: It is better to treat a decaying tooth rather then opt for removing it.
TRUTH: Before making a decision whether to continue treatment or remove an aching tooth you have to consult a qualified dental professional and, possibly, ask for the opinion of several specialists. Sometimes, even totally decayed tooth can be restored, and, at the same time, there are situations when even a healthy looking tooth must be extracted.

MYTH: It is better to remove wisdom teeth because they usually cause problems.
TRUTH: Do not extract your wisdom teeth until you have started having real problems with them.

MYTH: Good dental health can be inherited.
TRUTH: Such factor as inheritance plays minor role for good dental health of people. The main rules are to maintain proper oral hygiene and visit your dentist regularly.

MYTH: Eating a lot of chocolate brings to tooth decay.
TRUTH: No, it does not, but if you do not brush your teeth or at least rinse your mouth every time after eating chocolate, you are at much higher risk to get tooth decay.

MYTH: Eating too hot or too cold meals can harm my teeth.
TRUTH: Only regular eating too hot or too cold meals can be harmful for your teeth and dental nerves.

MYTH: Using toothpicks after meals can widen the gaps between my teeth.
TRUTH: Using usual toothpicks can not have such effects, but you must be very careful when using toothpicks because they can damage the gums and other soft tissues in your mouth.

MYTH: Teeth whitening is harmful as it can damage the enamel.
TRUTH: Modern methods of teeth whitening, including laser teeth whitening or Air Flow technique, have minimal harmful effects. Nevertheless, one must remember that teeth whitening can not be recommended for many people, especially for those who has sensitive teeth, problematic enamel, underdeveloped tooth tissues, as well as for pregnant and nursing women.

MYTH: After any bleaching procedure teeth do not remain shining white for long time.
TRUTH: In average, the effect can last for about a year or so, but after every following bleaching procedure the duration of the effects usually decreases.

MYTH: It is not harmful to whiten your teeth with usual sodium bicarbonate.
TRUTH: It is, actually, very harmful, because sodium bicarbonate we use for baking has very strong abrasive effects. If you want to whiten your teeth in an easy way, use special whitening toothpastes with bicarbonate. Such toothpastes contain much smaller particles of bicarbonate and they do not damage teeth that much.

MYTH: There is no need in taking care about the teeth of my baby because in some years they are going to fall out.
TRUTH: This is absolutely wrong from a variety of perspectives. First of all, if you do not take care about premature teeth, they may fall out before the time and cause problems with bite or improper development of your child’s permanent teeth. Besides, it is necessary to start educating your children to maintain good dental and oral hygiene since early childhood.

MYTH: It is necessary to avoid dental procedures during pregnancy.
TRUTH: Regular dental treatment must not be avoided by pregnant women, but there is a number of procedures, such as X-rays or surgical dental procedures, which must be postponed for pregnant women.

MYTH: Any type of dental treatment is very painful.
TRUTH: Not anymore. Advanced dental technologies allow making dental treatment not painful by using anesthetic agents.

Tags: dental myths, dental treatment, Flossing, tooth brushing, whitening

Posted: June 21st, 2008 under Dental Care for Every Day.
Comments: 11

A good quality toothbrush is an essential and irreplaceable instrument for maintaining proper oral hygiene. In our times, toothbrush is a first necessity both for children and adults, but sometimes one can get confused when trying to decide what type of toothbrush could be the best. Frequently, people tend to choose the brush of the shape and color they like, the brush that is affordable, or the one of the most advertised brand. However, making a decision about the most effective toothbrush requires a very considered approach and some basic knowledge.

Every toothbrush has a handle and a working part – a head with bristles. Nowadays, an assortment of toothbrushes of different shapes and sizes of the head, hardness and length of the bristles, sizes and shapes of the handle, are offered in our market of dental care products. The head of the toothbrush can be straight or angled. For many decades, only natural material was used for the bristles, but recently it was proven that synthetic fibers (such as nylon, derlon, nerlon, polyurethane, etc.) are better for the most effective brushing as these materials are less sensitive to moisture and do not get broken easily.

It is possible to classify manual toothbrushes according to the hardness of the bristles as the following:

• Hard toothbrushes can be used only by those people whose teeth and gums are in a very good condition. These toothbrushes can do the most powerful massage of your gums.
• Medium toothbrushes can be used by the majority of people, especially by those who have never had any problem like bleeding gums.
• Soft toothbrushes can be used by children, pregnant women, as well as by the people who have periodontal disease, diabetes or other health problems.
• Extra soft toothbrushes can be used by people with serious dental problems.

Tips for choosing the best toothbrush:

• First of all, it is necessary to find a toothbrush with the head of proper size. Large toothbrushes can not access all the areas in your mouth, that is why you should prefer the brushes with smaller heads (around 1 inch in length and 1/2 inch in width).
• Another way to select the toothbrush of a good size is to be sure that its head does not cover more than three of your teeth.
• The best decision is to get a toothbrush with synthetic bristles since this material creates the least favorable environment for dangerous dental bacteria to develop.
• Choose a toothbrush with the head of rounded shape; otherwise, the brush can damage your gums.
• Hardness of the bristles must be selected taking into account the specifics of your teeth and gums.
• Choose a toothbrush with long and wide handle plated with rubber or other material for a firm and comfortable grasp.

Keep your toothbrush in an upright position in a safe and well-ventilated place. Do not put it into any case or holder, better keep it in a cup or use a special toothbrush protector. Do not forget to replace your toothbrush after two or three months of usage, when the bristles started looking worn out or when you recovered after any type of mouth infection. Also, you can sanitize your toothbrush once a week by placing it in hydrogen peroxide or in your dishwasher that runs at a temperature over 120 degrees (use dishwasher soap, not a liquid detergent).

Tags: bristles, dental care, tooth brushing, toothbrush

Posted: June 15th, 2008 under Effective Brushing.
Comments: none