Oral Health

I had my regular dental checkup – cleaning – exam this week and the dentist said a few things that I thought, as he was saying them, would be good to share in the blog.

Firstly, the hygienist said that it was time for X-rays to which I said, “no thank you.” Then she cleaned my teeth and all was fine. The dentist poked around, all was still fine. “Everything is looking good. Any sensitivity… here?”, he asked. “OUCH – yes.”

Funny that it wasn’t an issue until he stuck that sharp probe against it. So it turns out that on one or two of my teeth the enamel is worn off near the top. When can you remember ever having a dentist say this, “You just need to back off the brushing a little bit there.” To which I replied, “Okay!”

I then stated with some uncertainty, “Guess I shouldn’t use those whitening strips again.”

His response was the “light bulb” moment for the blog. He said in fact that it was not the bleaches that were harming my teeth, but the toothpaste. He said that these days the whiteners are found in the strips but also in toothpaste. As he said, the strips use bleach but the toothpaste contains abrasives. He used the word, silica something or another and said, “But for you and me, that means sand.”

So I should go a little easy on the spots he noticed – okay. Then another question struck me – so, which is better a manual or electric toothbrush? He said that in “my” situation, the manual. I said that would be fine, I would get rid of my electric if they gave me a free toothbrush J

The dentist also said that I should concentrate on my gums with my toothbrush and maybe use a fluoride rinse as well to protect my teeth and to ease any pain. (Really I have NO pain under normal – not being poked with sharp objects- situations).

So that is a little anecdote about MY mouth – the only real take home message for you is to see your dentist regularly. Do take good care of your teeth and gums as gum disease or periodontitis can have systemic effects. Periodontal disease has been linked to heart disease and pregnancy complications.