Pro Tips

This page has general information to help you keep your mouth healthy! Come in for a visit with Dr. Kate to find out which of these dental tips and tricks will work the best for you. Everyone has unique dental needs, and not all of these tips will work perfectly for everyone.

General

The outside surface of a tooth (enamel) has a limited ability to heal itself! There are many ways to take advantage of this natural property of teeth.

Remineralization paste used daily can aid in this process.
Swish with fluoride mouth rinse nightly. Look for a rinse with a concentration of 0.05% Fluoride.
Chew sugarless gum. Ice Breakers and Trident are our favorites.
Drink tap water with fluoride in it.
Use Xylitol. It can be found in some gums, and as a sugary powder.
Brush or rinse with baking soda in addition to fluoride toothpaste.

Every person benefits from regular visits to the dentist, and every person has unique needs. To know how often you need to be seen, a Dentist needs to evaluate the health of your gums and teeth.

Brush with fluoride toothpaste two or more times daily.There is good science to support the use and safety of fluoride, but if you are avoiding this natural mineral see the section with our fluoride free recommendations.
An adult should brush for any child under 8 years of age at least once daily, twice daily for younger children.
Limit juice, pop, and sports drinks to mealtime.
Any beverage that comes in a prepackaged bottle or can, and any beverage to which you add cream or sugar, has either sugar or acid and can increase the chances you will get cavities.
Choose healthy snacks with limited frequency.
Healthy snack choices are nuts, cheese, and fresh vegetables.
Limiting between meal grazing, especially on crackers or similar snacks is very helpful in avoiding cavities.

Which toothbrush is best?

Any toothbrush is great. Be sure to use the fuzzy end, and we prefer that you pick a soft bristle brush.

Do I need an electric toothbrush?

Most people do a better job of keeping their teeth and gums clean with an electric brush. It is possible to keep them perfectly clean without one, check with Dr. Kate and Betsy to see if you would benefit.

Which toothpaste is best?

Almost all toothpastes are safe to use. We prefer a toothpaste with fluoride in it, and non-whitening if you have issues with sensitivity. If you are trying to avoid fluoride, there are also good options. We have links to a few acceptable fluoride free options, or come in to talk to Dr. Kate about finding alternatives to traditional toothpaste.

I heard in the news that flossing isn’t necessary…

There is evidence that flossing is helpful. Flossing is especially helpful for people with gum disease! Most people will experience a cleaner, healthier mouth if they floss regularly.

Why do my gums bleed when I brush or floss?

Bleeding gums happen when there is inflammation in your mouth. This can be a sign of serious dental disease. If you notice bleeding with brushing and flossing it is time to come in for a checkup with Dr. Kate.

Kiddos

Cavities and gum disease are caused by bacteria. We get this bacteria from other people. We usually get this bacteria from the people who we spend the most time with, and the people who feed us. This is a good reason not to share spoons and cups, or test food temperature with a lip before feeding a small child.
Bottles, or sippy cups taken into beds or cribs should always contain plain tap water.
An adult should brush for any child under 8 years of age twice daily.
When the sides of baby teeth begin to touch, it is time to begin using floss!
Transition away from pacifier use before the age of 2.
Encourage drinking from cup with no straw or sipper before the age of 3.
Choose healthy snacks with limited frequency.
Healthy snack choices are nuts [or nut butters for young children], cheese, and fresh vegetables.
Limiting between meal grazing, especially on crackers or similar snacks is very helpful in avoiding cavities.
Thumb sucking in infancy and very young toddlers is normal. Most children naturally decrease their thumb sucking as they get older. Talk to Dr. Kate if you feel that your kiddo is not making this transition.

Here are some high quality scientific articles and links!

Dietary determinants of dental caries and dietary recommendations for preschool children.
Fluoride toothpastes of different concentrations for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents.
Dietary sugars intake and cardiovascular health: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association.

Floss

The best floss is the one that you will use! Here are a few of our favorite things to help you achieve your flossing goals:

These are our favorite fuzzy toothpicks.
GUM Soft-Picks Advanced
This is Aunt Vicki’s favorite floss holder. She is an extremely good flosser, and you can try her method with this.
E-Z-Floss Dental Floss Holder
These brushes in different sizes are fantastic for spaces, bridges, and hard to get to spots.
GUM Interdental Brushes
Flossers like these are good for people on the go, many people find it easier to floss with these rather than string floss. There are many styles and brands that do a nice job.
GUM Professional Clean Flossers
This is Dr. Kate’s favorite floss.
Cocofloss
This is Hygienist Betsy’s favorite floss.
Oral-B Glide Pro-Health Deep Clean Mint Floss
This Super Floss is a superhero for people who need it! Check with Dr. Kate and Betsy to see if it would help you!
Super Floss for Braces, Bridges and Wide Gaps
Water flossers do not replace string floss, but they sure can help keep things tidy!
Waterpik Water Flossers

Dentures & Partials

Please do not use toothpaste on your denture or partial denture! The abrasives in toothpaste are just right for natural teeth, but are too strong for the plastic teeth that are used in removable teeth. Please use dish soap on a toothbrush to clean your removable teeth.

If there is hard buildup on your denture or partial a soak for 4-8 hours in plain white vinegar, followed by brushing with dish soap will often remove all of this. This process can be repeated as needed until the hard build up has been eliminated.

Dry Mouth

Dry mouth is VERY common! If you are suffering from dry mouth there are a few things that you can try to bring some relief. The following products will not cause cavities when used to treat dry mouth.

Many people find that chewing sugar free, xylitol gum or using sugar free xylitol lozenges can help stimulate saliva production.

When you have a dry mouth, it is extra important to avoid cracker and other carbohydrate snacks.

Nuvora Dry Mouth Comfort
Xlear Xylitol Products
ACT Dry Mouth Products
Biotène Dry Mouth Management Products

Xylitol is naturally occurring and prevents bacteria from causing cavities. For adults who have a hard time preventing cavities adding 6-8mg of this per day may be helpful.
Xlear Xylitol Sweetener
Epic Dental Xylitol Products
Healthygrid Xylitol Candy
Ice Breakers Gum

*Note that dogs have a different way of breaking down xylitol than humans do, and it can be harmful if given to dogs.

Fluoride Free

At the Albion Dental Clinic, we use science to guide our advice, and we recommend Fluoride [there is good science to support its use]! But we know that some of our patients have made a decision to avoid this naturally occurring mineral. For these individuals, we have some options to help them keep their mouths clean and healthy.

These are products that will not cause harm when used in moderation. For people looking for fluoride alternatives, these are safe areas to try.

- Licorice root
- Raw Cranberry
  Whole berries, not dried, no sugar added. Eat as a snack.
- Xylitol
  6-8 mg per day is needed to see benefits
- Baking Soda
  Put some on your toothpaste, or rinse and spit baking soda water
- Foods with Arginine
  Spinach, soy, nuts, chickpeas
- Foods with Strontium
  Green leafy vegetables, root vegetables, seafood, legumes
- Toothpastes [non fluoride]
  This toothpaste is best used in conjunction with a fluoride mouth rinse. But the toothpaste itself does not contain fluoride.
  Tom’s of Maine Rapid Relief Sensitive Toothpaste
  
  This kids toothpaste does not contain fluoride.
  Xlear Original Kid’s Xylitol Tooth Gel
  
  Nonfluoride caries prevention
  The Journal of the American Dental Association