Brushing is not effective in cleaning the side surfaces of the teeth. For patients without any recession, dental floss is the weapon of choice. The floss is used to wipe the surfaces of the teeth clean of plaque, not just to remove food from between the teeth. About a 3-foot piece of floss should be used for each session. This may seem like a lot until you realize that it costs about 2 cents per piece. Most of the floss should be wrapped loosely around your left middle finger, with a little wrapped around your right middle finger. In this way, as the floss is used, it is taken up on the right finger and unraveled from the left, providing a clean section of floss.

Using the middle fingers to hold the floss means that your index fingers and thumbs are free to manipulate the floss as needed. People who wrap the floss around their index fingers then have great difficulty getting the floss where they want it. The floss is used to clean the side surfaces of the tooth, both above and below the gum line, which the toothbrush cannot reach.

Your smile is our first priority, and we will give you reasons to smile. To schedule an appointment with a Sacramento dentist Kosta J. Adams please call (916) 927-0800 today.

For those who have difficulty handling a manual brush, or who like to have the latest equipment, there are several electric toothbrushes on the market. It is generally agreed that, all else being equal, powered toothbrushes are more effective than manual ones; however, keep in mind that it is possible to maintain optimal oral health with a manual brush and floss. There is no consensus yet as to which powered brush is best.

The advantages of a powered brush include the availability of different motions in the bristles, and also wider handles, which can be managed by people with arthritis or other dexterity problems. The disadvantages include cost, bulkiness, and the possibility of the motors or charging systems breaking down or wearing out. As with manual toothbrushes, a brush with a small head will allow easier access to hard-to-reach places. It is critical that the bristles be properly angled toward the tooth surfaces, or these brushes will not be of any use at all.

In any event, read the directions when you purchase a new brush; proper maintenance will significantly extend its life.

Your smile is our first priority, and we will give you reasons to smile. To schedule an appointment with a Sacramento dentist Kosta J. Adams please call (916) 927-0800 today.

Fluoride helps to slow or prevent the decay process by making the enamel less susceptible to acid dissolution. Fluoride is often added to municipal drinking water supplies, and is found in some toothpastes. Even in this era of prevention, approximately 40% of the nation’s drinking water is not fluoridated. There is no epidemiological evidence to suggest that fluoride at i part per million (ppm) is in any way a health hazard. To be sure, higher concentrations of fluoride, greater than 5 ppm, maycause changes in developing enamel surfaces and extremely high concentrations may be fatal. In addition to the passive use of fluoride in the drinking water, the best way for you to prevent caries is to effectively remove plaque from your mouth on a daily basis. Interproximal cleaning is as important as smooth surface cleaning. Many cavities start in the contact area between two teeth.

Another factor in caries prevention is the amount and frequency of intake of sugary foods. After eating, the pH, a measure of acidity, decreases around teeth for approximately 20 minutes. A lower pH means greater acid production. This lower pH is eventually raised by the bathing and buffering action of saliva. The sooner you eat, the sooner the pH decreases again. This cycle continues until the decay process starts. One option is to always brush immediately after eating or after drinking sugared beverages. When this is not possible, at least rinse thoroughly with water to decrease the amount of residual sugar in your mouth.

To schedule an appointment with a Sacramento dentist Kosta J. Adams please call (916) 927-0800 today.

Another method of caries reduction is the use of sealants in the posterior teeth. Sealants are a type of composite resin plastic which is bonded to the chewing surfaces of the molars, as a wood floor would be sealed with polyurethane to protect the wood. The sealant will keep decay from gaining a foothold in the grooves of the molar chewing surface. Sealants are recommended for teeth with deep grooves which are difficult to keep clean. Molars with shallow grooves probably do not need sealants. Teeth which have been in the mouth for several years with no evidence of decay also do not need to be sealed.

To schedule an appointment with a Sacramento dentist Kosta J. Adams please call (916) 927-0800 today.

There are several habits which are detrimental to healthy teeth. Eating sweetened foods, drinking sugared soft drinks, and chewing sugared gum all contribute to the metabolism of the plaque on your teeth. There is some evidence to suggest that chewing sugarless gum may decrease the incidence of caries. For one thing, the sweeteners in these gums cannot.

To schedule an appointment with a Sacramento dentist Kosta J. Adams please call (916) 927-0800 today.