Flossing…it’s a good thing. The American Dental Association has a flossing how-to article along with answers to your flossing questions. Basically, you should floss every day. And, it’s a good idea to floss before you brush. That way brushing will remove any little bits that are loosened by flossing. Kids need to floss as well – but they need help from an adult until they have the dexterity to do it themselves.
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It’s probably a good idea to know what to do in an emergency, especially if you have kids, so here is an online dental trauma guide.
And, while we’re talking about tooth trauma, be sure and wear mouth guards for all sports or other activities where you run the risk of getting hit in the mouth. You’d be surprised how easy this is. One of the more common causes we see is where someone is knocked in the mouth by a baby or dog. And the damage is not always obvious. It’s not uncommon for us to see a patient that has no visible tooth damage or decay but needing a root canal. After much wracking of the brain, they’ll remember getting hit in the mouth several years earlier. Gizmo has come close to doing that kind of damage more than a few times. She may look innocent and calm, but she can go from zero to wild in a tenth of a second!
If you (or someone you love) have concerns about bad breath, there are plenty of articles online to help. Here is one from Health911.com that is pretty thorough. Another one to check out is from eHow.com. And, if you want the official word on the causes of bad breath, the American Dental Association’s Mouth Healthy website has an article.
It seemed like such a good idea at the time… While a bright smile is great, take care when bleaching your teeth. It could make them extremely sensitive. We’ve seen more than a few patients who had such severe sensitivity their dentist thought they might even need a root canal. So, before bleaching, talk to your dental hygienist or dentist. They’ll probably advise you to start slowly to see what how it will effect your teeth.
Here’s what one patient had to say about her root canal treatment experience. We have other videos on our YouTube channel. Looks like it’s time to get more, too!