If you’ve recently gotten a dental bridge placed, you’re probably relieved to finally have your smile back and be able to eat the foods you like again. You should know that there are some small techniques you need to add to your oral hygiene routine in order to keep your replacement teeth and the rest of your mouth healthy.

We’ve noticed a misconception among patients that artificial teeth don’t need the same of dental hygiene attention because they aren’t real teeth. This isn’t true! Germs can accumulate on crowns and bridges just like on natural teeth. Caring for your gums around your new teeth is especially important. If bacteria is allowed to linger on your gum line, it can lead to gingivitis and decay in the teeth your crown or bridge cover. So here’s a quick guide to how to care for your bridges in your dental routine.

Dental Bridge Oral Hygiene Tips

Most dental bridges look like three or four teeth fused together in a row. The teeth on the end are called “retainers”, and like regular dental crowns, they fit over existing teeth like a cap and serve as anchor points, or “abutments”, for the brige. Between the retainers are one or two false teeth that bridge the gap where the missing teeth used to be. These bridge teeth are called “pontics”.  Retainers and pontics require slightly different care.

To clean your retainer crowns, floss around the sides of them just like you would floss around your natural teeth. Gently push the floss between the crown and the neighboring tooth and back out again, forming a c-shaped curve with the floss as you go.

To clean a pontic, you may need a special tool in order to get the floss into the gap between the false tooth and your gums. Most drug stores and pharmacies will carry floss threaders or proxy brushes. Floss threaders have a stiff end that makes it easy to thread floss under your pontic. Proxy brushes look like tiny tapered pipe cleaners with a handle. Which tool you use may depend on how tight the space is between your bridge and your gums. Ease the tool into this gap and move it back and forth to dislodge any food particles and sweep away bacteria.

And, of course, brush your dental bridge and the rest of your teeth and use a fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash as usual! Feel free to ask the dentist or the dental hygienist for a demonstration of any of these oral hygiene techniques at your next visit.

Despite being something that we do everyday, we find that patients have a a surprising amount of trouble brushing and flossing correctly. Dental hygiene is key to preventing dental problems like tooth decay and gum disease (not to mention staining), so be careful not to ignore certain warning signs from your main dental hygiene tool: your toothbrush!

Nothing we’re going to mention below is a secret, but they might be something that you haven’t taken the time to consider in your daily dental hygiene routine.

If your toothbrush is frayed…

…It’s telling you it’s reached the end of it’s life, or at least it’s effectiveness. When used regularly and correctly, toothbrush bristles eventually start to bend and usually start looking frayed after about 3 to 4 months. A frayed toothbrush is much less effective at getting into hard to reach places (such as between teeth and along the gumline).

If your toothbrush is looking frayed sooner than 3 months, you may be brushing your teeth too hard. Hard brushing is a bad habit that many patients have and it can lead to tooth pain, tooth sensitivity, and damage to your gums. It can also wear down your tooth enamel, making your teeth more vulnerable to tooth decay.

Keep track of how long it takes for your toothbrush to look worse for wear, and if it’s happening too fast, talk to us about changing your dental hygiene habits to be more gentle but still effective.

If your toothbrush bristles have changed color…

…It’s also telling you it’s time to get a new one. Many manufacturers include “reminder bristles” in their brush heads, especially in electric toothbrushes. After several months of use, these brightly colored bristles will eventually start to fade to white or clear. Once most of the color is gone, you’ll know it’s time to change your toothbrush. If you toothbrush is turning yellow or some other icky looking color, their may be a problem with your oral health or your habits, and you should talk to us about it at your next visit.

If your toothbrush is still wet from the last time you used it…

…You may be storing your toothbrush incorrectly. If it’s still wet many hours later, there’s trouble brewing…or rather, bacteria. When your toothbrush doesn’t get the chance to dry out between uses it creates the perfect environment for illness and cavity-causing bacteria to grow.

We suggest shaking out your toothbrush after you rinse it after brushing and putting it somewhere with plenty of airflow. Storing your toothbrush upright can help it dry off between uses. Also, if you’re traveling, be sure your toothbrush is dry before you put a plastic cover on it, otherwise you’re trapping it in a wet environment.

If your toothbrush is wet, there’s another possible culprit other than bad storage: someone else in your household may have mistaken your toothbrush for theirs! Make sure you’re not inadvertently sharing a toothbrush with someone else. This is very bad for your dental hygiene, even for couples who kiss!

Despite what some people seem to think, a hygienist’s greatest desire is not to scold patients. A dental hygienist’s greatest desire is to see healthy mouths free of tooth decay and dental disease. As the professional at our practice that you see the most often, your dental hygienist is on the front lines of keeping your smile healthy, so you better make sure to stay on his or her good side!

Here are a few things you shouldn’t do if you want to stay on your dental hygienist’s nice list.

Not Flossing

Rumors have been flying around about a study that says flossing doesn’t prevent gum disease, but flossing is still vitally important for your dental hygiene. Think flossing doesn’t matter? Tell that to your dental hygienist when she finds a popcorn kernel between your teeth from when you went to the movies three weeks ago! When debris is allowed to build up between teeth, it can become a breeding ground for bacteria that cause tooth decay. Relying on your hygienist to clean between your teeth every few months isn’t enough! You still have to floss daily if you want healthy teeth and gums.

Not Opening Your Mouth Wide Enough

We get it, it’s super strange to leave your mouth wide open for a long time. But please try to keep it open as wide as you can for as long as you can! Hygienists depend on being able to see inside your mouth in order to do their jobs thoroughly and spot problems like tooth decay, signs of bruxism, gum disease and more. If your hygienist keeps having to ask you to open your mouth, that’s a sign that you’re making things very difficult for him or her.

Not Brushing Your Teeth Before Your Appointment

This one is more about common courtesy than your dental health, though we’re all for extra brushing. If you brush in the morning and before bed, you might not bother to brush your teeth right before your dental appointment. But we guarantee that making the extra effort to brush your teeth right before your professional teeth cleaning goes a long way with your hygienist. Also, if you know you have a dental appointment that day, avoid stinky foods like onion and garlic that may linger on your breath hours later, even after brushing! It’s just the polite thing to do.

Not Taking Dental Diagnosis Seriously

This may be the most important thing to avoid. The hygienist is a trained dental professional who, along with the dentist, is part of a team dedicated to keeping your healthy and treating problems in the most conservative and gentle way possible. Much of the time, the hygienist is the first person to spot signs of trouble, such as tooth decay that needs repair or bleeding gums that are a sign of gingivitis or gum disease. If your hygienist says you need to come in for cleanings more frequently than twice a year and that you need to cut back on sugary drinks, this is his or her way of reducing your risks for dental problems and disease. Following your dental hygienist’s recommendations could eventually make the difference between losing or keeping all your teeth!

We know many dental patients find the ins & outs of dental insurance confusing, but if you have dental insurance the most important thing for you to know is that you get two free cleanings per year!

Nearly all dental insurance plans are set up in favor of preventive care. Most plan benefits cover two annual teeth cleanings (also referred to as hygiene or prophylaxis in clinical terms) at 100%, meaning you won’t pay anything out of pocket for your visit & the insurance company covers the cost of your annual cleanings. This is one of the ways that insurance companies & your dentist encourage you to prevent dental problems. By seeing the dentist for a cleaning every six months, which usually includes a brief exam, we can catch problems before they become painful, costly or both!

At a typical dental clinic, teeth cleanings are the most common reason patients come in to the office. If your teeth are relatively health, you’ve avoided having a dental injury, & you haven’t chosen to have cosmetic dentistry, most of time your visits to our office will not involve a financial transaction on your part at all. That being said, we will bill your insurance for your cleaning, meaning each cleaning won’t cost you cash, but it will cost you one of your annually allotted teeth cleaning benefits from your dental plan.

In some very rare situations, your insurance company may request you pay a small out-of-pocket cost for your cleaning. However, this shouldn’t be a reason not to get your cleaning. The $10 copay you pay twice a year for your cleaning if you have this kind of insurance plan is small compared to the hundreds or thousands you might pay out of pocket if something goes wrong & you need a crown because you haven’t been going to the dentist!

We don’t want anything to stand between you & optimal dental health. That’s why we offer teeth cleaning appointments that fit your busy schedule. We strive to provide appointment times that don’t require you to take off work (or school). We’d much rather see you before or after work for your teeth cleaning than pull you away from your obligations in the middle of the day. If you don’t already have your next 6-month teeth cleaning appointment scheduled, call us today so we can arrange it!

Take advantage of your teeth cleaning benefits! They’re made available to you in order to keep both your smile & your wallet healthy!

Our team has been caring for our community for a while now & we’ve noticed many patients come to us with the same questions over & over again. Always feel free to ask us questions when you have them! In the meantime, check out the FAQ & answers below to learn more about your oral health.

1. What causes tooth sensitivity & should I be worried about it?Patients often notice tooth sensitivity as pain when eating hot or cold foods or beverages. Tooth sensitivity is caused when the tooth’s surface has been worn away (leaving underlying dentin layer bare) or when gums have receded, exposing the sensitive root of the tooth. This exposed dentin allows heat, cold or pressure to reach your tooth’s nerve directly, resulting in pain. Tooth sensitivity can be a precursor to other dental problems, because exposed dentin is more vulnerable to decay & receding gums is a sign of possible gum disease. If you have sensitive teeth, please tell us right away so we can make recommendations on how to deal with it.

1. How often do I need to visit the dentist?You should visit us every six months for a teeth cleaning. Your regular teeth cleaning appointments are not just an opportunity to get your teeth much cleaner than you can just by brushing & flossing at home, they’re also an opportunity for us to examine your mouth for potential problems. We generally take x-rays of your mouth at least once a year at your cleaning appointment, if not more often, so we can detect hard-to-see cavities & other issues. However, we should note that if we have diagnosed you with gum disease (periodontitis) or the beginnings of it (gingivitis), the doctor may ask that you come in more frequently so we can treat your condition & keep it from getting worse.

1. What is better, a manual toothbrush or an electric toothbrush?With the proper technique, both manual & electric toothbrushes perform about the same. However, if your manual brushing techniques are less than optimal, an electric toothbrush may help you be a bit more thorough. Many electric toothbrushes have a built in timer that can help you make sure you brush for the recommended two minutes. If you are interested in an electric toothbrush, we’d be happy to talk with you about the options that would be best for you.

1. What is gum disease?Gum disease, known clinically as periodontal disease or periodontitis, is when bacteria surrounds your teeth & invades your gums. The disease generally starts with little or no symptoms, so unless you visit the dentist regularly you may not even know you have it. Early stages of gum disease, often called gingivitis, can start with red, swollen gums that bleed easily & have started to recede from the teeth (your teeth might start to look longer than they used to), persistent bad breath, & gum sensitivity to acidic foods. Later stages of gum disease include abscesses, tooth pain, bone loss in the jaw & tooth loss. Gingivitis is treatable in it’s early stages, but if it becomes gum disease, it cannot be cured, only managed. Your best option is to prevent gum disease by practicing good oral hygiene habits, visiting us frequently for professional cleanings & checkups, & telling us right away if you have any of the symptoms listed above.

1. My teeth don’t hurt & they look just fine. Why do I need to see the dentist?There are many dental problems that have no detectable symptoms, at least not at first. It’s possible to have cavities & tooth decay, gingivitis, gum disease, tooth grinding, an infected tooth or oral cancer & not have any obvious symptoms. Even if you aren’t experiencing pain, sensitivity, swelling or bleeding & can’t see anything wrong with your teeth in the mirror, there may still be a problem. That’s why we use all the latest technologies & techniques at our office, so we can detect potential problems even when you haven’t told us that something is bothering you. Visiting us every six months for a teeth cleaning & a brief dental exam is important to detecting potential problems before they become both costly & painful! We’re not trying to scare you or shake you down, we just want to keep you smiling!

Like any relationship in life, having good communication with your dentist is the key to success. The five tips listed below are intended to help you improve your oral health by communicating better with your dentist & /or dental hygienist.

1. If your dental hygienist or dentist says something you don’t quite understand, don’t just nod or pretend you do understand, ask for clarification! Sometimes we have trouble translating from the clinical language our dental colleagues understand to words that patients understand. So if you hear us saying unfamiliar words, ask us what they mean, even if you’re afraid it’s something super basic that most people already know. There are no stupid questions. The more you understand about your oral health, the better it will be!
2. Tell us the real reason you’re hesitating to commit to recommended treatment. It’s a lot better for us to know what you’re thinking than trying to guess. If your concern is the cost of treatment, tell us & we might be able to offer your payment options or treatment alternatives that you weren’t aware of. If you’re hesitating because you have a fear of dental procedures, let us know so we can offer distractions like headphones or movies, or even sedation to ease your nerves. If you don’t understand the purpose or process of the treatment, please ask us for clarification & we’ll find a better way to explain it.
3. Don’t say yes to an appointment you already know you probably can’t keep just because you want to be polite or feel pressured. If you know that Tuesdays at 4pm are a bad time for you, don’t let us schedule your appointment then. Be honest about when you can get time off or when you get out of work, & we’ll be happy to accommodate you. Finding the right place for you in our schedule is much better for your oral health than if you have to cancel or skip your appointment in the future!
4. Don’t lie about how often you brush or floss. For one thing, you dental hygienist will be able to tell by looking at your mouth how well you’re taking care of your teeth. What’s more, signs or symptoms we may detect in your mouth may mean something completely different depending on what you tell us. In order to care for you properly, we should have the most accurate information you can give us!
5. Don’t be dishonest about your lifestyle & dietary choices that are bad for the health of your teeth. If you’re a smoker, please try to quit! The affects on your mouth go way beyond yellow/brown teeth. No one will be a more enthusiastic cheerleader for your effort to quit than your dentist & dental hygienist! Consuming excessive amounts of sugary drinks, sugar-free soda pop & energy drinks, sports drinks or highly acidic drinks like citrus juices can put you at high risk for tooth decay or rot your teeth directly by breaking down your tooth enamel. If we have a realistic understanding of your habits we can help guide you to change them for the better.

As dental professionals, our favorite thing is a happy & healthy smile. We see your dental health as a team effort & if you follow the tips above, you’re sure to be a team player!

When most of a us think of a teeth cleaning appointment, we think of polishing & maybe a little scraping. But the truth is that teeth cleaning appointments are about so much more than clean, shiny teeth!

Most teeth cleaning appointments also include a quick examination by the dentist. That’s one of the reasons we call them check-ups: your teeth cleaning appointment is an opportunity for the dental hygienist & the dentist check up on your oral health.

The dentist will pop in at some point during your time with the dental hygienist & perform a quick examination. This exam looks for more than just cavities. The dentist & the hygienist will examine your gums for signs of gum disease & your entire mouth for other problems, such as early signs of oral cancer. This may involve a little poking & prodding with a small metal tool called an explorer & a dental mirror. They will also review your x-rays, which are often taken at the beginning of the appointment. The dentist will discuss any potential problems that they have spotted, introduce treatment options if necessary, & ask you if you have any concerns.

Your teeth cleaning appointment is also a great opportunity for educate yourself about your teeth. Even if all you need is to brush up (so to speak) on your toothbrushing & flossing techniques, your teeth cleaning is a great opportunity to ask questions. You can ask your dentist or dental hygienist for recommendations on which toothpaste to use, options for whitening your teeth, or any other topics of concern or curiosity. Regular dental care works best when the dentist, hygienist & the patient are all actively involved in the treatment process, so don’t be shy about getting informed!

It’s also extremely important to know that your dental health is part of your overall health. Just because you see one doctor for your teeth & another for your general health doesn’t mean these things aren’t related! Gum disease & tooth decay have been linked to other health problems like heart disease & low birthweight in babies. People with certain health problems like diabetes or cancer are more prone to dental problems than others. In addition to oral health related problems, your dentist & hygienist can spot signs in your mouth (such as dry mouth, bad breath or sores) that may indicate a problem with your general health.

We know not everyone looks forward to teeth cleanings, but going to your dentist frequently for a cleaning & checkup is the best way to prevent potentially painful & expensive dental problems in your future & keep tabs on your health in general. If we catch a problem early during your cleaning appointment, your treatment is likely to be more comfortable, less complicated, & less expensive.

At every dental appointment, dental patients are reminded of the importance of their at-home oral hygiene practices: Brush your teeth, floss, rinse and so on. Everyone knows the basics, but have you heard of tongue scraping?

Your tongue is a big muscle covered in tons of little bumps called papillae, where your taste buds live. It helps you eat food and drink water. That means that everything that touches and gets stuck in your teeth also touches your tongue—and it doesn’t all go away when you brush, floss, or rinse.

The tongue is constantly exposed to bacteria just like teeth are, and it can hold onto them really well thanks to its bumpy texture. If you ever notice a white film on your tongue, it could be bacteria or plaque—and if you don’t clean it, the bacteria can make their way onto your teeth even if you’ve recently brushed and flossed.

That’s where tongue scraping comes in. The best way to clean the plaque and bacteria off your tongue is to scrape it. There are tools made specifically to help you scrape your teeth: They’re called (surprise, surprise!) tongue scrapers.

When using a tongue scraper, start at the back of your tongue and gently but firmly scrape toward the tip of your tongue. After each scrape, wipe off the scraper to get rid of any residue. You might only need to scrape once, but we recommend you do it each time you brush your teeth. Alternatively, you can use a spoon or simply brush your tongue with a toothbrush, but neither is as effective as using a scraper.

There are more benefits to tongue scraping than just a clean tongue. It can also reduce bad breath, improve your sense of taste (think of all the clean taste buds!) and even improve your oral appearance. Regularly scraping your tongue should keep it a nice, healthy pink color.

As with all dental care, consistency is key. Just like you should brush your teeth twice a day, you’ll only see improvements to your tongue if you clean it every day.

Did you know there is a super simple way to help prevent bad breath that you should actually already be doing? This should already be part of your dental hygiene routine in order to prevent tooth decay, but it’s also a great way to get rid of germs that cause bad breath. Can you guess what it is? We’ll give you a hint: you’ve probably lied to your hygienist about it.

The answer: Flossing!

If the threat of gum disease and cavities isn’t enough to get you flossing everyday, maybe the idea of embarrassing bad breath will be. The importance of flossing can be hard to perceive, because unlike the plaque on the fronts and backs of your teeth, the plaque between them is harder to see and impossible to feel. But there’s a very good chance the people around you can smell it.

When you only brush your teeth you miss out on cleaning a significant amount of the surface of your teeth. Unlike brushing, flossing allows you to go as much as 2 millimeters under your gums, allowing you to remove unseen bacteria from the surface of your teeth. If it isn’t removed, this bacteria will sit in your mouth and start expelling the stinky gasses that cause bad breath.

Remember, it is especially important to floss if you have dental implants or a dental bridge. These “replacement teeth” offer more places for food particles and the bacteria that feeds off them to hide. While crowns and implants aren’t vulnerable to cavities, they also don’t make you immune to gum disease! There are special kinds of floss that make getting in and around your dental prosthesis easier than with traditional floss. Water picks are also good alternatives to floss that can flush away stinky breath bacteria.

If you want a tutorial on the best way to floss for your particular oral health situation, please ask us at your next visit. We would be happy to give you a refresher to improve your dental hygiene routine!

Brushing your teeth is such a routine habit that you may forget that there’s a right and a wrong way to do it. But proper brushing is super important for preventing tooth decay and gum disease! Here are a few things you may be doing wrong in your dental hygiene habits and what to do instead to make sure your smile stays healthy now and into the future.

You’re Rushing and Brushing Too Hard

Hard and fast may be great for your SoulCycle workout, but not so for your teeth. Whether you’re rushing out the door to work in the morning or groggily stumbling to bed in the evening, there’s a tendency to rush through your dental hygiene routine just to get it over with. If you’re not going to brush for 2 whole minutes, you may think you can make up for it by applying more pressure and scrubbing your teeth harder. Not true! It’s much more important to be thorough and gentle. Brushing too hard can actually weaken your tooth enamel, making your teeth more vulnerable to tooth decay and sensitive teeth. Plus, you can actually irritate an injure your gums by brushing too hard. Take the time to do it right and your smile will thank you!

You’re Using the Wrong Toothbrush

Despite what some ads and commercials might have you think, there is no single brand of toothbrush that most dentists recommend. That being said, there are some guidelines you should always follow when choosing a toothbrush. First, get a soft-bristle brush. We know there are medium bristle and hard bristle options out there, but we’re sort of confused as to why they exist, because they’re not good for your teeth (they can be really hard on your tooth enamel, which can lead to cavities and sensitivity). So stick to a soft bristle brush and only buy a hard bristle one if you’re going to use it to clean the grout in your bathroom.

Believe it or not, size is important too. If you have a smaller mouth, choose a brush with a smaller head that allows you to reach the tighter spaces in the back of your mouth. We’d hate to see your back molars getting neglected just because your toothbrush is too big!

Your Toothbrush Is Ancient

Once you’ve found your perfect toothbrush, try not to get too attached. It’s going to be a three-month relationship at most. That’s right: the lifespan of a toothbrush is only about three months. After that, the bristles get worn out and start sticking out every which way, which makes it hard for them to effectively remove plaque and debris from the surfaces of your teeth. If your toothbrush looks fluffy like a feather duster (or Guy Fieri’s hair), it’s time to toss it.