Dental Hygiene Products – Your Easy Guide
Which products are available and how can they help you perfect your oral hygiene regime?
Although trips to see us at Abbey Road Dental are important to ensure we catch any issues with your oral health quickly, what you do to help your teeth and gums stay healthy everyday is what is really important.
The habits that you abstain from, the things you eat and drink, the time you put into cleaning your teeth – these things really do count.
To help you get a little bit closer to perfecting your oral hygiene regime we wanted to give you an easy guide to some of the most common dental hygiene products on the market. They can help you have an easier time keeping those gums and teeth extremely healthy, and some can even help with additional oral issues like dry mouth. With all of that in mind, here is a user-friendly guide to oral hygiene products from your NW8 dentist:
Mouthwashes
Mouthwashes were commonly thought of as an extra item you can use to clean your teeth and gums even further, whereas they are actually quite far-reaching in what they can achieve.
As a basic level they are a liquid you swish in your mouth for about two minutes and either contain alcohol or are alcohol free. Some mouthwashes are designed to kill bacteria in the mouth that aggravate the gums. Some are designed to help the gums heal or to reduce gum inflammation. Some mouthwashes are more specific to helping the mouth produce more saliva, which can be very useful if you suffer from dry mouth. There are also specific mouthwashes designed to help gently numb painful and inflamed areas.
As a general rule, mouthwashes aren’t needed and certainly cannot replace brushing, but they can be helpful if you have specific needs. Some can even work against the type of toothpaste you are using and can actively cause you problems.
For specific advice on the best mouthwash to use, if any, please speak to your Abbey Road Dental hygienist.
Toothbrushes
Toothbrushes are the essential tools we use to clean our teeth and can be manual or electric.
We recommend that most people use an electric toothbrush, although a manual sensitive toothbrush can be useful if you have sore gums or teeth. Getting the right toothbrush is so important when it comes to your oral health and this is especially true if you have dexterity issues that make brushing your teeth difficult. We can advise you on the best toothbrush type to use for your needs when you visit us at our NW8 clinic.
Toothpaste
Toothpaste is the paste we use to brush our teeth, helping to clean the teeth, strengthen them and keep the breath fresh.
Adults should be using a toothpaste with 1350 to 1550 ppm, whilst children have different fluoride needs at different ages. You can find out more on the NHS website or from your NW8 dentist. Sometimes your dentist will prescribe a high fluoride toothpaste if your teeth need extra protection for any reason.
When it comes to pastes with ‘extra active ingredients’ they mostly won’t make a huge amount of difference. In fact, whitening toothpastes can be quite abrasive without actually really making any difference to the whiteness of the teeth. Toothpastes can also be designed to help with sensitivity but if you don’t know why your teeth are sensitive, please see your dentist first to check you don’t need any treatment.
Floss
Floss comes in many shapes and forms, but in general, you’re looking for floss that is smooth and that doesn’t fray or snap. A broad surface area is great for gently gliding down the teeth to disturb that film of baterial plaque which builds up regularly. You do only need to floss once a day but it should be comfortable and easy. That can mean trying out different techniques, as well as different products. For example, there are special devices that hold the floss and ensure that you are flossing equally each side of the tooth.
If you find using floss really difficult there are products called water flossing machines or ‘piks’ that gently push water between the teeth and the gums to do the same job as string floss, but in a different way.
There are also special interdental brushes which look like thin pipe cleaners, and larger brushes on a long stick designed to help you clean areas like the wisdom teeth, which can be tricky. These products can also be useful in helping you clean each and every area of the mouth that perhaps normal floss cannot reach.
If you do not know how to floss and you want to know, there are lots of helpful Youtube videos that show you how to do it. Alternatively, why not speak to your NW8 hygienist for tips?
Gels
There are gels for the mouth for various different applications and needs. Some gels are designed to help treat gum disease and can be applied with the finger, or they can even be used with floss to apply them to the areas that are most inflamed.
Some gels are used to numb areas of pain, like ulcers or inflamed gums. Other gels are designed to topically get certain vitamins or medicines into the gums or tissues of the mouth.
When you have a certain dental issue, or if you want to support your oral health further, specially formulated gels can be a really useful part of your oral health regime.
Tartar Kits & Filling Repair Kits
You can buy special kits that include some of the items a dentist or hygienist might use to remove tartar (hard plaque) from your teeth. You can also buy kits to repair fillings temporarily.
Abbey Road Dental does not advise anybody uses either types of kit, because there is no dental training to ensure you know how to do the work properly. Dentists do not work on their own teeth either, because it isn’t safe or advisable even when the person has the required training.
It may seem tempting to try to do your own dental work cheaply, but if you have a dental issue, we strongly recommend you see us in St John’s Wood, or you ring 111 for emergency out of hours support.
Hopefully you feel a little more aware of the vast amount of products available to support your oral hygiene. If you would like specific advice on creating the best oral hygiene regime for your needs, please get in touch to book an appointment with our lovely Abbey Dental hygienist. You can reach our reception team on 02076241603 to find out more today. We’re here to support all of our patients effectively care for their teeth and gums each and every day!