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My Dentistry Blog
Posts for: January, 2015
A critical part of effective, daily oral hygiene, flossing removes bacterial plaque from between teeth that can’t be accessed with brushing. Unfortunately, it’s often neglected — string flossing requires a bit more dexterity than brushing and can be difficult to do properly.
It can be even more difficult for people with implants or who wear orthodontic appliances. For brace wearers in particular, getting access to areas between teeth with string floss is next to impossible; the metal brackets and tension wire also have a tendency to catch and retain food debris that’s difficult to remove with brushing alone.
Water flossing, using a device called an oral irrigator, is an effective alternative that addresses many of these difficulties. First available for home use in the 1960s, an oral irrigator delivers pulsating water at high pressure through a handheld applicator that forcefully flushes material from between teeth.
There’s no question that string flossing is effective in plaque removal between teeth — but what about oral irrigators? A 2008 study looked at a group of orthodontic patients with braces who used oral irrigators and compared them with a similar group that only brushed. The study found that five times as much plaque was removed in the group using the oral irrigators as opposed to the group only brushing.
Oral irrigators may also be effective for people who’ve developed periodontal (gum) disease. In fact, oral irrigators coupled with ultra-sound devices are routinely used by dental hygienists to remove plaque and calculus (hardened plaque deposits) in periodontal patients. As with regular oral hygiene, though, it’s important for patients with gum disease to include water flossing with daily brushing (at least twice a day) and regular cleaning sessions at the dentist to ensure removal of all plaque and calculus.
If you’re interested in using an oral irrigator, be sure to consult with us at your next appointment. Not only can we recommend features to look for in equipment, but we can also instruct you on the techniques to make water flossing an effective plaque remover.
If you would like more information on water flossing, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Cleaning Between Your Teeth.”
The Tooth Fairy has been easing the process of losing baby teeth for hundreds of years — at least 500 years according to one authority on the subject. Her name is Brady Reiter, and while she looks only age 11 in earth years, she is actually a 500-year-old Tooth Fairy; at least she plays one on DVD.
Brady is the star of Tooth Fairy 2, a new DVD comedy also starring Larry the Cable Guy as a novice Tooth Fairy doing penance for questioning the existence of the magical sprite who leaves payment under pillows for lost teeth.
In a charming interview with Dear Doctor magazine, Brady says it wasn't very difficult to play an ancient tooth fairy trapped in a child's body.
“I'm kind of more mature than an average 11-year-old because I have older brothers and sisters,” Brady told Dear Doctor. “It was kind of just connecting with my inner 500-year-old. It was very fun to play a character like that!”
Brady also enjoyed working with Larry, who dons a pink tutu and fluffy wings for his role.
“In hair and makeup every morning, he'd be making all these jokes,” she said. “He just cracked us up 100 percent of the time!”
But as much fun as Brady had on the set, her character, Nyx, is all business. And that's how Brady, who recently lost her last baby tooth, has always believed it should be.
“My whole life I thought the Tooth Fairy is just like Nyx,” Brady said. “They know what to do, they come in, they're professionals, you don't see them and they never make a mistake and forget your tooth. Just like Santa Claus, tooth fairies are very professional.”
Brady also told Dear Doctor that she is very excited to be helping the National Children's Oral Health Foundation fight childhood tooth decay as spokesfairy for America's ToothFairy Kids Club. The club offers kids personalized letters from the Tooth Fairy along with lots of encouraging oral health tips and fun activities.
If you would like to enroll your child in the club — it's free! — please visit www.AmericasToothFairyKids.org. And to make sure your child's teeth and your own are decay-free and as healthy as possible, please contact us to schedule your next appointment.
