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Which Toothpaste Is Best?

Now that you know the key components of toothpaste, you can pick the brand that’s right for you. If you’re a smoker or coffee drinker, you should choose a product with the highest amount of fluoride. Without a prescription, you’re looking for a brand that’s at least 1,000 parts per million (PPM). A product with the CDA Seal has received independent review and validation of its product claims.

If you’re someone with yellow teeth, you’ll want a brand with a higher number of silicates. A product that includes whitening will gradually alter the shade from yellow back to white. If cavities are a big issue, you want a product with special cavity-fighting power. If you have a plaque problem, you can prevent tartar buildup with toothpastes that are specifically formulated to fight tartar. Finally, if you have sensitive gums and/or teeth, the best product is one that treats the underlying problem of sensitivity.

As you can see, toothpaste includes a lot of components specifically designed to protect and improve your teeth. No matter the problem you worry about with your teeth, a product exists that can help you overcome the issue. Simply consider your needs and then mix and match from the options above.

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Other Toothpaste Components

Many toothpastes will also include artificial sweeteners. The minty taste that you associate with toothpaste isn’t a natural flavor. Manufacturers add saccharin and other ingredients to make the taste of toothpaste better. Without it, the process of brushing your teeth wouldn’t feel as pleasant. If brushing your teeth left you with a bad taste in your mouth, it might reduce your desire to brush regularly. Toothpaste now comes in flavors as diverse as lemon, grape, and bubblegum to make them more appealing – not just for adults, but for children too.

Toothpaste also includes ingredients to keep the tube from drying out. Without the moisture retention of humectants, your mouth would dry too soon. These are the same ingredients that keep you from having dry skin. Finally, toothpaste uses thickeners to make sure that the actual substance maintains a gooey form.

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The Importance of Fluoride

Any good toothpaste will include other components to make it more effective. Fluoride is the most important one. In fact, it’s the primary reason tooth decay and cavities have declined dramatically over the past 50 years. This naturally occurring mineral protects your teeth when you eat. Every food you consume leaves trace elements of sugar and starch on your teeth.

Fluoride counters this problem in two ways. It strengthens tooth enamel, the protective layer on the outside of your teeth, and that added strength makes your teeth less susceptible to chipping and cracking.

When you consume items that stain your teeth such as coffee, cigarettes, wine, tea, and sugary drinks, the enamel weakens. Fluoride counters this issue, although you should still brush your teeth more often if you smoke or consume any of those products. Fluoride also fights off previous damage by reversing the process of tooth decay. For these two reasons, when you shop for toothpaste, you should pick one with fluoride.

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The Science of Brushing Your Teeth

When you’re ready to decide on a brand, you should understand the basic components of each product. Most major brands of toothpaste include abrasive agents. Don’t worry about that label, though. Abrasive agents are usually helpful.

Abrasive agents are the ingredients that cause the scratchy sensation when you brush your teeth. They’re silicates like hydrated silica, calcium carbonate, and hydrated alumina. Some of these materials are the same as sand, which sounds weird, but the ingredients have a purpose. In combination with the brushing movement of your wrist, they’ll scrub away the bacteria and plaque. Conversely, the brushing motion wouldn’t sanitize your teeth without the silicates. Their purpose is to act as a cleaning agent.

The foam on your toothbrush comes from the detergent in the toothpaste. It works similarly to the products you use to clean your dishes and laundry. A detergent breaks down any undesirable substances. With your teeth, it’s loosening materials that aren’t soluble. The liquid in your mouth will dissolve any that is soluble, but you need help with anything that doesn’t respond to liquids.

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The Basics

Toothpaste is only a means to an end. If you buy it and then are lazy about brushing your teeth, it won’t help. The Canadian Dental Association (CDA) recommends brushing your teeth after each meal (and at least once a day). Brushing your teeth removes all the harmful bacteria and plaque that build up when you eat. No matter which toothpaste you choose, it won’t help unless you’re serious about brushing your teeth.

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manohardentalcare.com

What Toothpaste Should I Use?

You want to take care of your teeth, just like anyone. Keeping them clean and healthy enhances your smile while saving you money, because when your teeth are in bad shape, you’ll have to spend more correcting them. One of the basic decisions you’ll face in safeguarding your teeth is which toothpaste to use. Each day, the toothpaste you pick will clean your teeth and will have ramifications for years to come. Here’s a guide on what toothpaste you should use.

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manohardentalcare.com

Determining Whether X-Rays are Necessary

The best way to minimize radiation exposure from dental x-rays is to make sure these are only done when necessary. There is no set schedule for dental x-rays. Rather, it’s left to the healthcare provider to make an informed decision as to whether the patient needs x-rays with their examination. Factors that your dentist will consider include:

• Age
• Stage of dental development
• History of oral health
• Risk factors for various conditions
• Presenting symptoms

One study revealed that performing a careful clinical evaluation of the patient can reduce the need for x-rays as much as 43 percent without any increase in the rate of undiagnosed diseases. So, if you’re concerned about exposure, ask your dentist to perform a visual examination before ordering x-rays. But keep in mind that there are several issues that there are many conditions that would likely only be diagnosed through x-rays.

To further minimize your need for x-rays, if you have x-rays from a previous dentist, make sure to transfer these to any new provider to eliminate the need for repeat procedures.

Dental x-rays are considered extremely safe. However, it’s important to understand the purpose of any procedure that will expose you to radiation. Don’t hesitate to discuss the need for dental x-rays with your dentist to better understand how he or she can help protect and improve your oral health.

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Safety Precautions with Dental X-Rays

There are many things that your dentist can do to minimize the radiation from x-rays. Taking a single image rather than multiple images decreases exposure significantly. You can also speak to your dentist about using the lowest radiation setting possible, particularly for children. Leaded coverings can protect certain parts of your body from radiation.

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manohardentalcare.com

Dental X-Rays During Pregnancy

Pregnant women are generally advised to avoid dental x-rays. Though the radiation is minimal, it’s best to avoid all exposure when possible for the health of the developing fetus. For this reason, it’s important to tell your dentist if you are or may be pregnant.

However, there are some instances where pregnant women should still have dental x-rays performed. If you have a dental emergency or are in the middle of a dental treatment plan, you may still need x-rays during your pregnancy. Discuss the issue with your dentist to determine the best way to proceed. It’s crucial that you balance both your dental and prenatal health. Women with periodontal disease are at a higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, so you shouldn’t neglect your teeth during pregnancy.

Your dentist can take greater precautions, such as using a leaded apron and thyroid collar, for all x-rays taken during your pregnancy if the procedure is deemed necessary. Keeping your dentist informed at all times is the best way to proceed.

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Dental X-Rays and Children

Many parents are concerned about the impact of dental x-rays on children. Children are more sensitive to radiation. However, the amount of radiation in a dental x-ray is still considered safe for a child. As children’s jaws and teeth are continuously changing, it’s important to keep an eye on their development. These x-rays perform many important purposes for young patients. They help dentists to:

• Make sure the mouth is large enough to accommodate incoming teeth
• Monitor the development of wisdom teeth
• Determine whether primary teeth are loosening properly to accommodate new permanent teeth
• Identify decay and gum disease early

It’s important for children to visit the dentist regularly, and to get x-rays as recommended by the dentist. The exact schedule for these x-rays will vary depending on the child’s individual needs.

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Who Needs Dental X-Rays

Dental x-rays are used diagnostically to help dentists see issues that are otherwise nearly invisible to the naked eye. Adults receive dental x-rays so dentists can better identify and treat various issues. Using these x-rays, your healthcare provider can see:

• Areas of decay, including those in between teeth or under a filling
• Bone loss associated with gum disease
• Abscesses, which are infections at the root of the tooth or between the tooth and gum
• Tumors
• Changes in the root canal

Without an x-ray, many of these problems could go undiagnosed. With an x-ray as a reference, dentists are also better equipped to prepare tooth implants, dentures, braces, and other similar treatments.

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How Safe Are Dental X-Rays?

Dental x-rays are a common diagnostic procedure that is considered extremely safe. Digital dental x-rays have very low doses of radiation, producing just a fraction of what you are exposed to in other imaging procedures. If you’re worried about whether you need dental x-rays, or wondering if you should forego this procedure due to other medical conditions, it’s helpful to dive a little deeper into what dental x-rays involve, why they’re performed, and how they’re best handled.

When these x-rays are performed properly with adequate safety precautions in place, there’s very little cause for concern. A routine examination with four bitewing x-rays exposes you to roughly the same amount of radiation you will experience during one to two hours on an airplane.

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The Number of Fillings in One Sitting Depends on the Kid

When dentists fix cavities for kids, sometimes they do all the cavities at once and sometimes they do only one at a time. The reason for this has to do with the kids, not the cavities. Some children are fine sitting in the chair for long periods of time, while others are not. Dentists want the best outcome for the kid, and if that means making multiple appointments to fill cavities, then that is what will happen. Providing quality oral care to a crying child is very difficult for both the kids and the parents.

If you’re anxious about your child’s first filling, our dentists will put you at ease. We develop a treatment plan that is right for you and your child, with an aim to preserve the baby teeth until the adult teeth come in. The most important thing you can do as a parent is to keep teaching your kids about proper oral hygiene and continue scheduling regular professional teeth cleanings to minimize fillings and more invasive care.

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Kids Sometimes Get Laughing Gas

When children are having cavities filled, dentists sometimes opt to use nitrous oxide, commonly called laughing gas. If you’ve ever experienced this gas at the dentist before, you may remember the sensation that it provides. For some children, nitrous oxide reduces anxiety and distracts them from the pain associated with both getting that Novocaine shot in the gums and getting a tooth drilled. Nitrous oxide doesn’t work for all kids, and your dentist may opt to go with an orally administered sedative, instead. And of course, as with many things, not all dentists offer nitrous oxide, so it’s best to check beforehand.

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manohardentalcare.com

Sometimes Extraction Is Necessary

Preserving baby teeth is an important part of dental care for children. The reason revolves around maintaining the right amount of space for the adult teeth to come in. However, sometimes your dentist will have no choice but to pull the baby tooth early. If the decay is so advanced it’s causing gum issues or pain for your child, extraction becomes the best option. Many dentists fill the gap where the extracted baby tooth was removed with a prosthetic to maintain the correct space for the adult tooth to come in.

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