Supersmile believes in clean ingredients not just for a cleaner mouth but for better overall health, so you can have a bright smile without irritation, damage to your enamel and other health issues caused by non-clean additives.
But you don’t have to wait for tooth sensitivity to take care of itself – and in many cases, it won’t if you don’t take quick steps to correct it! Let’s look at a few tooth sensitivity remedies in detail.
Tooth sensitivity can be incessant and frustrating to live with, but there are multiple ways to potentially stop tooth sensitivity in its tracks. Here are a few effective strategies to consider.
Be sure not to over brush your teeth. Maintaining a consistent and stellar tooth brushing routine is key to long-term dental health, but you only need to brush your teeth twice per day – once in the morning and once in the evening – for two minutes per session.
It’s not really necessary to brush your teeth three times or more per day unless your dentist says otherwise. Doing so might, in fact, cause the bristles of your toothbrush to wear down the enamel of your teeth.
When this occurs, your tooth’s dentin and roots can become exposed or sensitive to hot or cold foods or even tooth pressure. If you grind down your teeth’s enamel, you’ll also make your teeth more vulnerable to cavities and tooth decay.
You should also consider adjusting your diet to get rid of acidic foods and beverages. Examples include drinking too much fruit juice, eating too much acidic fruit, drinking too much soda, and more.
Acidic foods and beverages can also wear down enamel over time, making your teeth more vulnerable to decay.
Many of us develop a habit of grinding our teeth as children and never really quit it. But grinding your teeth can wear down the enamel on the tops of your teeth and lead to tooth sensitivity just by irritating or inflaming the nerves underneath your teeth's crowns.
If you think you’re grinding your teeth at night, speak to your dentist and they may be able to provide you with a tooth guard that can help your body break the habit over time.
In the pursuit of a whiter smile, many people bleach their teeth regularly. But bleaching your teeth can burn away enamel and lead to chronic tooth sensitivity.
Give your teeth a break and double down on a tooth brushing routine with fluoride to remineralize your enamel and see if that helps.
Above all else, you should practice a thorough dental hygiene routine, which includes buying an effective toothpaste with ingredients like fluoride or Calprox: an excellent and safe protecting and whitening agent exclusively available at Supersmile.
If your tooth sensitivity doesn’t go away after trying each of these tricks, you should contact your dentist for an appointment. They’ll be able to examine your teeth up close and determine if there’s an underlying condition at the root (no pun intended) of your tooth sensitivity problems.
If your dentist does discover an issue with your teeth, they may treat tooth sensitivity using a variety of procedures or treatments.
Fillings are the best way to tackle cavities, which are small holes gradually burrowed into your teeth by plaque and bacteria. During a filling appointment, your dentist drills away any infected tooth dentin, then fills in the empty space with a neutral resin or metallic filling. The resulting filling cannot be infected by bacteria again.
Sealants are a kind of safety net to help keep hard-to-reach teeth (such as your back molars) clean. Sealants are protective coatings made from plastics or other materials. They adhere to the surfaces of your teeth and can help stop cavities from forming.
However, note that sealants are not full replacements for a good tooth brushing and flossing routine. They're designed to assist people who have difficulty achieving high-quality dental hygiene in other ways or to help stop a cavity from fully forming while it is still in its earliest stages.
A desensitizing paste may be applied if your tooth sensitivity has progressed to the point where it interferes with your everyday life. The desensitizing paste essentially numbs the nerves of your gums and teeth, helping to block out the pain while you wait for a more permanent solution, such as a tooth extraction or a root canal.
A root canal is an advanced dental procedure that is necessary if a cavity has progressed to the roots of a tooth. With a root canal, your dentist drills away infected tooth material and root matter, eventually getting rid of the roots entirely.
The holes in your tooth and gums are then filled with a sterile resin that prevents tooth decay from occurring in the same place. A protective cap is placed over the top of your tooth to strengthen it for the long term.
Out of all types of tooth sensitivity, sensitivity to cold is among the most common. There are multiple reasons why your teeth might be sensitive to cold foods or air.
As your gums shrink, they gradually reveal the roots of your teeth. The roots hold the nerves and blood vessels of your teeth as they reach the inner pulp of an individual tooth.
If the roots are exposed, they aren’t being protected by the crown or enamel of your teeth, so they will naturally be more sensitive to cold foods, beverages, or ambient air. Your gums can shrink because of age, eating habits, or even gum disease.
Gum disease itself can cause your teeth to be sensitive to the cold. As your gums become irritated and inflamed due to disease, they may also irritate the nerves of your teeth, which can lead to exacerbated sensitivity to cold temperatures.
Teeth can become cracked or damaged from accidents, fights, or other causes. Regardless, a cracked tooth or tooth filling can expose the inside pulp or roots of a tooth to the air. Not only is this dangerous for bacterial infection, but it’s also likely to lead to tooth sensitivity.
Again, the nerves of your teeth aren’t designed to be exposed to cold foods or beverages. It’s imperative to get a cracked filling or tooth taken care of ASAP.
Your teeth’s enamel can be progressively worn down over time through a variety of causes, including:
Enamel can’t be replaced once it’s gone. So you have to take steps to protect the enamel of your teeth now, as well as work to remineralize any gaps that already exist through the use of fluoride toothpaste.
Yes. Depending on the intensity of your tooth sensitivity and your dentist’s recommendation, you can pursue several strategies to make tooth sensitivity go away:
In addition, tooth sensitivity sometimes fades away on its own if you correct the root cause of the issue.
Fortunately, tooth sensitivity can be remedied through all sorts of lifestyle changes or direct treatments. One of the best active ways you can treat tooth sensitivity starting today is through purchasing and using high-quality dental tools and products.
Supersmile is just the choice for this goal. With us, you’ll find fluoride and Calprox-infused toothpaste and mouthwash products, plus top-tier electric toothbrushes to replace your old manual one. All of these solutions can help you avoid or treat tooth sensitivity.
Best of all, we have a wealth of resources if you have more questions regarding tooth or overall oral hygiene. Check out our online store today and say goodbye to regular tooth sensitivity!
Sources:
Sensitive Teeth - Heat and Cold Sensitivity - American Dental Association | Mouthhealthy.org
Sensitive teeth: What treatments are available? | Mayo Clinic
Article What Can You Do About Sensitive Teeth? | WebMD
Sensitive Teeth: Causes, Symptoms, Treatments, and More | Healthline
Sensitive Teeth Home Remedies: 8 Ways to Treat Tooth Pain | Healthline
]]>In fact, teeth aren’t exactly the same thing as bones. They have to be distinct, as they fulfill completely different functions in our bodies compared to most of the other bones, which give our bodies structure and stability.
Teeth may be made of many of the same materials as bones, but not all. Let’s take a closer look at teeth compared to bones and put this myth to rest once and for all.
No, although teeth share many commonalities with other bones in your body.
Like bones, teeth are among the hardest substances in your body because they contain a lot of calcium. In fact, over 99% of the total calcium in your body is found in both your bones and your teeth (the remaining 1% is in your blood).
Therefore, the standard 32 teeth in your mouth do not count toward the total bone count in your body (206).
If teeth aren’t bones, what are they made of? Your teeth are made up of far more than just dentin and enamel.
The first type of tooth tissue in your mouth is pulp, which forms the innermost parts of your teeth. The pulp itself is composed of various connective tissues, blood vessels, and nerves. The blood vessels supply the nutrients to the tooth to keep it healthy.
Technically, each tooth’s pulp has two subsidiary parts: a pulp chamber that holds the crown and a root canal that lies at the root of an individual tooth. It’s through the root canal that the blood vessels and nerves enter the tooth and reach the pulp chamber.
The dentin is the off yellow substance that surrounds the pulp of your teeth. The dentin makes up most of your tooth matter – it’s roughly as hard as bone. If your teeth gradually become yellow over time, it may be because your teeth’s enamel is wearing down, revealing the yellowish dentin underneath.
The enamel is the whitish armor that protects most of the surface of your tooth. It covers the dentin and forms the outermost layer of each tooth crown. Without enamel, your teeth wouldn’t be able to withstand the high pressures involved with chewing.
Enamel also protects the deeper layers of your teeth from physical wear and tear and from damage from bacteria and plaque. Enamel can’t grow back over time, so it’s imperative that you protect your enamel from degradation by using a fluoride-infused toothpaste, an electric toothbrush, and other tools. Be sure to brush your teeth twice per day, too – it’s the best way to avoid enamel degradation!
The cementum is a layer of material outside your tooth roots but beneath the gum line. The cementum’s job is to hold your teeth in place within the jaw. To accomplish this, cementum layers are also as sturdy as regular bone material.
In contrast to these materials, bones are primarily made of collagen: a key type of protein you can also find in your skin. Bones are also made of calcium phosphate, a kind of mineral. Both compounds together allow your bones to form a soft framework and slightly bend as well as retain strength and durability.
The above materials in your teeth are used to make three primary parts of each individual tooth.
The crown is the visible portion of your tooth, covering almost 2/3 of its total structure. In other words, the crown is above the gumline. There’s a little confusion here, as many people assume the crown to be just the top of the tooth, but it really covers the top and most of the rest of the tooth’s visible surface.
The neck of each tooth is the small and narrow portion that lies between the crown and the root. Think of this as the portion of the tooth closest to the gum while still being largely visible rather than hidden beneath the gum line.
The root is the heart of each tooth and forms the remaining one-third of tooth matter. It's typically seated inside your jaw to support each tooth, which ensures your teeth remain sturdy and fixed inside your mouth.
If your teeth are healthy, the roots will not be visible.
Yes! Teeth don't show many signs of living activity like other types of tissues – for example, teeth don't directly bleed.
But teeth, although they don’t have external nerves, do have internal nerves that transmit pain and sensitivity when they are stimulated. Furthermore, teeth are fed a constant supply of nutrients from blood vessels located inside the roots and pulp.
The nutrients are used to reinforce and regenerate the dentin of each tooth. Unfortunately, enamel is not able to regenerate or remineralize due to internally digested nutrients (they can instead be remineralized through external means).
However, although teeth are alive, they do not grow like other types of living tissues. In fact, each of us is born with our full sets of adult teeth embedded in our jaws. It just takes time for the teeth to erupt after our baby teeth fall out.
Some people believe that older folks have longer teeth than younger people. This isn’t actually the case. Instead, it’s just more common for older people’s gums to retract somewhat, revealing more of their teeth over time.
Since teeth don’t grow back once they are damaged or lost, it’s imperative that we take care of our teeth as well as we can. Here are a few ways to strengthen your teeth (while following a good dental hygiene routine as well). Many of these minerals can be absorbed through your food, then brought to your teeth through the blood vessels attached to them.
Calcium is one of the best minerals to target if you want to strengthen your teeth. While it also helps your bones, calcium specifically helps to harden or remineralize enamel, just like fluoride (more on that below).
You can fortunately find calcium in a variety of food sources, like dairy products including cheese and yogurt.
Don’t forget to target magnesium in your diet. Magnesium is a major counterpart mineral for calcium, as it’s necessary for your body to absorb enough calcium for adequate health. Try to eat magnesium and calcium at a two to one ratio.
Magnesium can be found in several staple dietary sources, including dark leafy green vegetables, brown rice, corn, legumes, whole grains, and more.
Phosphates like phosphorus are also key minerals to target as they can help calcium to bind to various tissues throughout the body. Phosphorus, luckily, is found in plenty of tasty foods, including seafood such as sardines and shrimp, plus plant-based foods like soybeans, lentils, and pumpkin seeds.
Phosphorus can even be found in other products like beef, cheese, and pork.
Fluoride is one of the most important minerals to target as well. Fluoride is a key active ingredient in many high-quality toothpaste products, including Supersmile’s Professional Whitening Toothpaste and most of our other oral hygiene products.
Why? Simply put, fluoride can help fill in the gaps of your enamel through a re-mineralization process. Fluoride is one of the only ways to strengthen your enamel if it has been slightly damaged or worn down with time.
For this reason, you should always include fluoride toothpaste in your dental hygiene routine unless you have a reason to avoid it (such as having a reaction to the mineral). Fluoride is also commonly found in drinking water, as many cities add fluoride automatically to their public water sources to improve dental health for their citizens.
If you’re looking for something even more advanced and effective, you’ll want to find toothpaste, mouthwash, and other products with Calprox: a proprietary tooth whitening and strengthening ingredient you can only find in Supersmile’s products.
Developed by Dr. Irwin Smigel, Calprox is revolutionary in large part because it doesn’t increase tooth sensitivity. It doesn’t wear down enamel over time or lead to long-term dental issues. All it does is strengthen teeth and help make them whiter simultaneously.
Fortunately, you can find Calprox in many of our top products, including our toothpastes and our Oral Rinse. For example, our Professional Whitening Toothpaste combines Calprox with fluoride. As a result, it’s a potent solution for remineralizing teeth and whitening them at the same time… but without the same associated risks.
But we don’t just offer toothpaste and mouthwash. We also offer electric toothbrushes, floss, tongue scrapers, and more. Check out our online store for all of your oral hygiene needs!
Sources:
What Are Teeth Made Of? | News-Medical.Net
What Is Fluoride? Uses, Benefits, Side Effects, and Safety | Healthline
Tooth - American Dental Association | Mouthhealthy.org
Are Teeth Bones? What Teeth and Bones Are Made Of | Healthline
]]>If you decide you want a whiter smile, you have a few different options to pick between.
In-office dental whitening treatments are the most professional (and expensive) options. But many people choose these options because they can lead to long-lasting results.
Most in-office dental procedures involve your dentist placing a protective coating on gum tissue and your lips to protect them from harsh bleaching ingredients. Your dentist may then apply a whitening gel or another solution to your teeth, then shine an ultraviolet lamp onto the teeth to activate the whitening treatment.
You can also get over-the-counter products, such as whitening trays, strips, toothpaste, pens, and more. The results of these tools can vary from product to product – some can only brighten your teeth’s color by one or two shades, and only for a week or so before needing to be reapplied.
Others, such as Supersmile’s whitening options, are both safer for your teeth and longer-lasting.
You may also decide to use home remedies to whiten your teeth. The whitening techniques can vary dramatically; for example, you may choose to adjust your diet to include less coffee or tobacco, both of which can stain your teeth progressively.
Home remedies also sometimes use abrasive ingredients like charcoal or baking soda (although charcoal is harmful to your teeth). Rinsing agents like coconut oil can also be effective to a limited extent.
If you decide to go with a professional teeth whitening appointment, your dentist may offer several options.
In-office bleaching can usually be done in about an hour, but it is quite expensive. It bleaches your teeth and provides long-lasting results without necessarily harming your teeth’s enamel (though it can happen).
Zoom teeth whitening is offered throughout the country. The lips and gums are protected before the application of Zoom’s special hydrogen peroxide gel. The gel sits for 15 minutes, and a specialized lamp targets the teeth and causes a chemical whitening reaction on their surfaces.
Laser whitening is similar to Zoom teeth whitening. With this procedure, a peroxide-based gel is applied to the teeth, and a laser applies intense heat to induce a chemical reaction that breaks down stains and whitens the color of your teeth. The length of time required for this procedure can vary based on how many teeth you want to be targeted.
LED whitening procedures work similarly to the above two procedures. A tray is fitted over your front teeth and an LED light activates a built-in whitening solution. Your dentist may use a bleached-based solution or a non-bleached solution depending on whether you want to take care of surface-level or deeper stains.
Some people choose to get veneers, which are custom-made shells that cover the front surfaces of teeth to enhance the color and durability of your smile. Veneers can sometimes stain over time, and those stains can be whitened using professional cleaning techniques.
Note that you can’t usually whiten your veneers at home.
Boost is a new professional teeth whitening solution that uses chemically activated whitening compounds rather than uncomfortable or hot LED lights or lasers. The teeth whitening gel uses potassium nitrate and fluoride to ensure comfort and prevent enamel decay.
Whitening your teeth at home is definitely possible, provided you use the right tools. Lots of people, unfortunately, use whitening strips and trays, which are incredibly damaging to the teeth.
Alternatively, people may use harmful whitening toothpaste that uses abrasive silica ingredients. These can damage the enamel of your teeth and lead to tooth decay.
In contrast, here at Supersmile we provide whitening tools that are gentle and not harmful to your teeth’s enamel. We skip harsh bleaches and other damaging ingredients in each of our products, and we don’t offer tooth damaging strips or trays.
As a result, whitening your teeth at home with Supersmile’s products will result in healthier and longer-lasting whitening results than if you relied on other solutions.
Teeth whitening strips involve using bleaching strips on the surfaces of your teeth, removing them after they burn away stains and enamel. As mentioned, these are not recommended due to their potential to irrevocably harm your teeth.
Whitening gels and trays also typically use harsh abrasives or bleaching agents. They do not typically provide very long-lasting results and must be reapplied regularly, further damaging your teeth with time.
Teeth whitening toothpastes are useful in that they actively clean your teeth and eliminate surface-level stains over time.
For example, Supersmile’s Professional Whitening Toothpaste uses fluoride and a handful of other effective ingredients like our signature ingredient Calprox to both protect your teeth and whiten them in safe amounts over time. The whitening results are not immediate, but after continued use of about three weeks, you’ll experience more long-lasting and thorough whitening improvements than if you used strips or trays.
Most mouthwashes just illuminate plaque and bacteria in your teeth. But Supersmile’s advanced products, including its Oral Rinse, can do more than that – it can also whiten your teeth!
This high-quality mouthwash can illuminate bacteria and make it harder for bacteria to settle on the surfaces of your teeth. At the same time, it’ll help to eliminate surface-level stains and bring you a brighter smile, especially when used in conjunction with other whitening tools.
Similarly, we don’t offer floss that just cleans between your teeth. Our Professional Whitening Floss uses a long-lasting germicidal coating to prevent bacterial build-up between your teeth and safely whitens in between your teeth thanks to its Calprox weave.
Calprox (more on this below) is a special protecting and whitening formula found exclusively with Supersmile’s whitening solutions.
You can alternatively bring in-office whitening to your home with Supersmile’s Professional Activating Rods. These specialized tools help to prep your teeth's enamel for excellent whitening results and help to make your smile look shiny and new.
Just apply the whitening rods before using our whitening toothpaste or other whitening solutions and you’ll effectively simulate a thorough, in-office whitening regimen, all for an affordable cost.
If you decide to go with an at-home whitening regimen, you should look for a few key ingredients in any product you purchase.
Carbamide peroxide is an effective whitening agent since it releases hydrogen peroxide when it is mixed with water. The hydrogen peroxide then helps to remove surface-level stains without harming the teeth or gums.
You should also look for whitening products that include an accelerator formula to boost the result of your at-home whitening efforts. Only Supersmile has a suitable formula; it’s found in our Professional Whitening System.
Calprox is the magic ingredient found in many of our best whitening products. Developed by Dr. Irwin Smigel, this proprietary ingredient protects your teeth and helps to whiten them by up to five or six shades. It’s science-backed and effective for everyone, and it doesn’t come with some of the negative side effects like abrasion that’s caused by other ingredients such as activated charcoal.
Home remedies may seem easy and convenient, but their results can be hit or miss.
Oil pulling is a controversial tooth whitening remedy for home use. It involves putting coconut oil in your mouth and swishing around. Unfortunately, there isn’t any evidence that this is actually effective for whitening your teeth.
Baking soda foams up and, in the process, removes dirt and bacteria from your teeth’s enamel. However, it’s not as intensely whitening as some other compounds, like Calprox.
Hydrogen peroxide by itself is similar to baking soda – it can be effective to a limited extent, but it’s not strong enough to remove more embedded stains or whiten your teeth by more than one or two shades.
You can eat some fruits and vegetables to benefit from their acids or fiber content to remove stains or plaque. But again, these won’t do much to dramatically whiten your teeth by more than a couple of shades at best.
No. Charcoal can technically rub away surface-level stains, but it can also grind down enamel over time, which may reveal the yellowish dentin underneath (negating any whitening effects).
In the end, the best way to whiten your teeth depends on your budget and how much time you have to apply whitening solutions at home. If you plan to practice at-home whitening, you won’t find better whitening solutions than those at Supersmile.
Fortunately, you can check out our online store today and place in order for any of the above whitening products (or anything else you need). Contact us if you want more information or have questions about how our whitening solutions are so effective!
Sources:
Laser Teeth Whitening: How Does It Work? | Dental.net
An overview of tooth discoloration: extrinsic, intrinsic and internalized stains | NBCI
Teeth Whitening: Tooth Bleaching Fast Facts | WebMD
Is Teeth Whitening Safe? – Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic | Cleveland Clinic
Dental Veneers: Cost, Procedure vs. Crown, Implants, and More | Healthline
]]>Let’s break down the best step-by-step process for flossing teeth so you get a seal of approval from your dentist at your next visit.
While flossing at all can help ensure top-tier dental hygiene, you need to know how to floss correctly if you want to see the best benefits. If you’ve forgotten since your dentist last showed you how to floss, no worries – here’s a brief tutorial to break it down for you.
First, take your floss and break off between 18 and 24 inches. Yes, you heard that right. You need this much floss so that you apply fresh floss in between each of your teeth. Using the same floss section over and over again for multiple teeth will just spread plaque and germs around.
Fortunately, floss is incredibly affordable, so you shouldn’t need to worry about running out so long as you pick up a few packs at a time.
You’ll get the best leverage for your floss if you wrap it around your middle fingers. Wind the floss a few times for adequate tightness – there should be a taut section stretched between your middle fingers when you’re done.
Next, grip your floss’s ends with your index fingers and thumbs.
Once you’ve prepared your floss string, glide it in between two of your teeth. It’s best to start at the back molar of one side of your teeth (either the top left or bottom left, for example), then progress from tooth to tooth in a linear fashion. This way, you won’t forget any teeth by accident.
As you floss in between your teeth, gently wiggle the floss up and down against each side of both teeth. If you pick up high-quality floss, plaque should scrape free relatively easily, but you should still move your floss up and down a few times just to get rid of as much germs as possible.
You’re not quite done after cleaning the sides of your teeth. You’ll also need to dip the floss down to the base of your teeth. There are small pockets of germs and plaque that collect at the bases of your teeth over time. Floss can help get rid of these contaminants.
If it hurts a little, don’t worry; flossing will become more comfortable as your gums become accustomed to the routine. The same is true if your gums bleed slightly.
Then repeat the wiggling and curving technique for each pair of teeth in your mouth. If you floss thoroughly, the entire routine should take about a minute. Combined with brushing your teeth, a thorough and well-rounded dental hygiene routine should only take a few minutes out of your day!
If you glide the floss into your gums or you pull on it tightly, you can accidentally bruise or scratch your gums instead. Floss may not be particularly tough, but when you hold it taut between your fingers you can exert significant pressure on the gums anyway.
Curving the floss helps the floss string to enter the plaque-filled space between your teeth and gums without harming the gumline.
Flossing with braces might seem impossible, but the technique you should use doesn’t deviate too much from regular flossing.
Flossing with braces takes longer than flossing without braces, but it is still a vital part of dental hygiene. In fact, flossing with braces might even be more important as your toothbrush may be less capable of getting rid of plaque and germs with the braces and wires in the way.
Even an electric toothbrush may not be able to get all the food it normally might with unblocked teeth.
Even though this goes against what many of us were taught as children, there’s some research to suggest that flossing before brushing your teeth can actually be beneficial.
In a nutshell, flossing breaks up some of the plaque that will have hardened between your teeth before you go to clean them. After flossing, this plaque becomes easier to remove for your toothbrush, resulting in better dental hygiene overall.
You should brush and floss your teeth twice per day, once in the morning and once in the evening, preferably after eating your morning and evening meals.
Most of us are familiar with common dental floss, but there is actually more than one type of dental floss available.
Dental tape is a broad, flatter variety of floss compared to the standard thread. Like standard floss, you can find dental tape in both waxed and unwaxed versions. Dental tape is mostly used by people who have a lot of space between their teeth.
More surface area means that dental tape produces a little less surface pressure on the gums, so it may be more comfortable if you have a lot of gum line space to clean. However, dental tape is not preferred for people with braces as it is too easy for the tape to get caught in the wires.
Standard floss is the basic flossing tool we’re all familiar with. It comes in both unwaxed and waxed varieties. Unwaxed floss is usually made of nylon and has 35 tiny strands twisted together. Waxed floss is the same, but comes with a light wax coating that makes the thread less likely to break.
Naturally, some floss is better than other floss. Supersmile’s Professional Whitening Floss is a top-tier choice because it can safely whiten your teeth without increasing sensitivity or wearing down enamel. It’ll gently but thoroughly remove plaque and germs from between your teeth, as well as provide long-lasting germicidal protection for fresh breath.
So-called "super floss" is floss made from a yarn-like material. There are stiff sections at either end of the thread that you can use to clean around dental bridges or braces. It’s a specialized flossing tool only used by folks who need help cleaning around those implements.
Floss picks are small plastic tools that have a small piece of floss suspended between two arms. Depending on the type, floss picks can either be disposable or refillable with new floss strands.
Floss picks make flossing easy by providing a single, perfectly measured strip of floss for each pair of teeth in your mouth and don’t require you to hold floss by wrapping it around your fingers.
A water flosser is an advanced flossing tool that sprays concentrated streams of water in between your teeth. These devices can be beneficial for people who have dental work that make traditional flossing tools a little tough to use, such as fixed bridges or intense braces.
Water flossers can work just as well as standard floss, provided you use them as regularly as normal floss.
As you can see, the right floss technique isn’t too hard to maintain as long as you give yourself enough time to thoroughly clean in between your teeth every day. Additionally, there are lots of different flossing tools you can use depending on what dental work you have, the sensitivity of your gums, and your personal preference.
With so many different flossing tools to choose from, there’s no excuse to skip this crucial part of your dental hygiene routine. We’ve got some of the best options for floss, toothbrushes, and other dental tools on our online store – check it out today!
Sources:
How often should I floss my teeth? | ADA
How to Floss Your Teeth | Mouth Healthy.org
How to Use Dental Floss | Medical.net
How to Floss Properly: Step-by-Step Guide to Flossing Teeth | Healthline
]]>Most toothpaste products use a handful of shared ingredients, then differ based on their inactive ingredients or flavoring agents. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most common toothpaste ingredients on the market and explore what they do for your dental health so you know what to look for in your ideal toothpaste choice.
While the exact ingredient composition of any given toothpaste can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, most high-quality toothpaste products will include a few key active ingredients.
“Main” or active ingredients in toothpaste products are designed to do one of two things: scrape away plaque and bacteria or remineralize the enamel of your teeth. Many of the best active ingredients can do both at the same time.
You’ve probably already heard of fluoride because it’s in almost every popular toothpaste product on the market, and for good reason.
Fluoride is one of the most effective minerals when it comes to fighting tooth decay. In a nutshell, bacteria and plaque can gradually wear down your teeth’s enamel layer over time. While you can’t regenerate enamel once it is gone, fluoride can essentially fill in the gaps and “remineralize” your teeth’s enamel layer.
In this way, fluoride directly counteracts the effects of plaque and bacteria and can prevent cavities from developing over time.
However, toothpastes can use different types of fluoride depending on their ingredients. Ingredients to look for include sodium fluoride, stannous fluoride, and sodium monofluorophosphate. Each of these is recognized by the FDA as an effective mineral for preventing cavities and avoiding tooth demineralization.
Although fluoride is super effective, you don’t need a whole lot to get the job done. Most common toothpaste products only contain 0.15% of their formulas as fluoride or around 1500 ppm.
What if you can’t use fluoride in your toothpaste? You can still find quality toothpaste products, but the other ingredients will have to make up for the lack of fluoride in your toothpaste.
Many toothpaste products also contain one or more abrasives, which are inactive ingredients that scrape away plaque and food particles on the surfaces of your teeth. Abrasives are inactive since they don’t directly reduce the risk of cavities or gum disease.
Still, they play an important role in getting rid of surface stains and food debris from your teeth. The abrasives used in modern toothpaste products are relatively gentle and hygienic and include ingredients like calcium carbonate, hydrated aluminum oxide, and dehydrated silica.
Each of these can scrub and/or polish the surfaces of your teeth without causing long-term damage to tooth enamel. As a result, they are totally safe to use, provided you practice good toothbrushing technique.
Many toothpaste products also contain one or more flavoring agents to help make the taste more pleasant to users. Flavoring agents are important for inspiring people to brush their teeth twice per day, every day, especially kids.
The de facto toothpaste flavor is peppermint due to its refreshing sensation and taste, but this isn’t the only flavor you can find. Most toothpaste flavors are relatively sweet so they’ll contain sweetening agents like sorbitol or saccharin.
Note that toothpaste products that contain these ingredients don’t contain sugar, even though the sweetening ingredients definitely taste sweet. This is intentional as normal sweetening ingredients used in foods, like regular sugar, can lead to tooth decay and plaque formation.
As a result, the American Dental Association only recommends toothpaste that uses artificial sweeteners rather than sugar.
Most toothpaste products include humectants as key ingredients in their formulas. A humectant is an ingredient that prevents toothpaste from drying out over time and becoming crumbly. In other words, humectants allow your toothpaste to stay paste-like for longer.
Sorbitol is one of the most common humectants used in toothpaste products, especially since it doubles as a flavoring agent. Sorbitol is effective since it can trap water in toothpaste formulas, ensuring a smooth and pasty appearance when the toothpaste is squeezed from its tube.
Aside from sorbitol, other toothpaste products might use humectants like glycerol and glycol, both of which do exactly the same thing (though not necessarily with the same sweetening effect).
Then there are detergents: ingredients that cause your toothpaste to become foamy and bubbly when you mix it with water and brush the paste around your teeth. Detergents are important as they ensure that the toothpaste ingredients (such as fluoride) coat the surfaces of your teeth relatively evenly and even enter the gaps in between individual teeth.
Sodium lauryl sulfate is the most common detergent used in modern toothpaste products.
Toothpaste products contain several active and inactive ingredients. An "active" ingredient (also called the API or active pharmaceutical ingredient) is an ingredient that has an active therapeutic effect on your tissues, such as your teeth. Put another way, active ingredients are compounds that have a direct effect on the health of your mouth or teeth.
Inactive ingredients are still important, but they are strictly non-medicinal. They don’t have any pharmacological effects on your body.
For example, toothpaste products often contain abrasives, but abrasives are inactive ingredients as they aren’t absorbed by your teeth or tissues and don’t provide therapeutic effects. They just scrape away food debris and plaque.
But fluoride is an active ingredient as it’s designed to be absorbed by your teeth and directly contributes to dental health. The difference between active and inactive ingredients is small, but it’s worth knowing anyway.
Aside from the really common ingredients described above, you might consider looking for some additional ingredients when you go to buy new toothpaste at the grocery store.
These minerals are vital for overall tooth health. Calcium and magnesium work together, particularly in calcium’s case.
Calcium helps to strengthen teeth and is one of the most important minerals for tooth health overall. Magnesium is less important for tooth health directly, but you need to absorb enough magnesium so your body can absorb enough calcium for overall tooth health.
Phosphates, on the other hand, are also important for tooth health. Specifically, phosphates are responsible for ensuring that your teeth remain attached to the jawbones, ensuring that your teeth remain firm and fixed in your mouth at all times.
Toothpastes that include these minerals will be excellent choices for long-term dental health.
Carbamide peroxide is a compound that reacts with water in your mouth and in toothpaste. When it reacts, it releases hydrogen peroxide, which burrows into the small divots of your teeth and can help to erase tooth stains and embedded plaque.
The result? A reasonably good whitening effect. As a result, carbamide peroxide is one of the most popular whitening agents in modern toothpaste products.
Some high-quality ingredients can both protect your teeth and whiten them at the same time, as is the case with Calprox. This revolutionary and proprietary toothpaste ingredient can only be found in Supersmile’s toothpastes, oral rinses, and similar products.
It was developed by Dr. Irwin Smigel as a solution for a common conundrum: it’s difficult to whiten your teeth and protect them at the same time. Many typical whitening agents grind down enamel and make teeth more vulnerable to cavities over time.
Calprox is different. Thanks to a special formula, Calprox can help to strengthen teeth like fluoride while also whitening your teeth like carbamide peroxide and other whitening agents. It’s an excellent and effective active ingredient you should always look for when selecting a new toothpaste for your dental routine.
For example, our Professional Whitening Toothpaste includes both fluoride and Calprox for even more effectiveness.
In the end, toothpaste products have tons of ingredients to sift through. If you want to make your selection job easier, focus on purchasing toothpaste products that contain the ingredients described above. Fluoride, Calprox, and minerals like calcium and magnesium are the most important above all else.
Want some great examples of toothpaste products with stellar ingredients and no risk of tooth injury?
Look no further than Supersmile. Within our offerings, you’ll find toothpaste, floss, and several excellent electric toothbrushes to pair them with. We also have a variety of guides and informative articles to help you achieve maximum oral health.
Contact us today if you have questions and don’t hesitate to check out our store!
Sources:
Toothpastes - Oral Health Topics | Ada.org
Toothpastes Ingredients | Dentist.net
What's in your toothpaste? - A look at 5 common ingredients | Delta Dentalins
What Is Fluoride? Uses, Benefits, Side Effects, and Safety | Healthline
]]>It’s a big oversight, especially when you consider that your tongue is a haven for germs that cause plaque and eventual cavities or gum disease. Stick your tongue out in the mirror and you’ll see an off-white paste coating its surface, likely thicker near the back. That’s all germs you can do without.
While you could just take a toothbrush and brush your tongue for a few seconds every time you brush your teeth, there’s a better method available: tongue scraping. With dedicated tongue scraping tools, you can remove plaque and germs from your tongue and avoid bad breath more reliably.
Let’s take a closer look at cleaning techniques you can use on your tongue and explore why using a tongue scraper is superior to brushing your tongue with a typical toothbrush.
While tongue scrapers are better tools for cleaning your tongue thoroughly and gently, a toothbrush can work in a pinch if you don’t have a scraper handy. If you insist on brushing your tongue, be sure to use this technique.
If you brush your tongue too hard, you could irritate the muscle and cause injuries over time. This is doubly true if you use an electric toothbrush, as it’s easy for people not used to the efficacy of electric brushes to push down too hard and cause damage to their teeth, gums, or tongue.
Take your toothbrush (after wetting it to soften the bristles) and brush the center of your tongue back and forth for a few strokes. This should remove some germs. Be sure to rinse your toothbrush to prevent it from spreading germs around your mouth.
Now brush your tongue from side to side, taking care to brush the edges of your tongue as well. Again, rinse your toothbrush so you don’t leave a lot of germs on its bristles for later.
Rinse your mouth out after brushing to get rid of any floating germs and to refresh your tongue.
It’s always better to use a tongue scraper rather than a toothbrush.
A tongue scraper is a specialized tool with a curved head specially designed to scrape away germs on the surface of your tongue, rather than brushing them around as the bristles of a toothbrush would. There’s evidence to suggest that tongue scrapers are much more effective at cleaning tongues and toothbrushes, as well as reducing sulfur compounds that cause halitosis.
You don’t need to look far to find a tongue scraper that’s gentle and effective enough for your needs. Supersmile’s Ripple Edge Tongue Cleaner is a pack of three high-quality tongue scrapers that can gently but thoroughly sweep away the germs that causes the majority of bad breath.
These tongue scrapers will simultaneously clear away plaque and food particles. Even better, each is ergonomically designed, making them easy to use without straining your wrist or hurting your tongue. Try them out today and see how easy it can be to use a tongue scraper each day.
Just like your teeth, your tongue can gradually collect germs.
Ever wondered why you have incessant bad breath even after brushing your teeth? It’s probably because there’s plenty of germs still on your tongue, causing the sulfuric odors of halitosis.
If you clean your tongue, you’ll experience less frequent bad breath. As a bonus, you may also see reduced plaque buildup, particularly on the inside surfaces of your teeth. Your tongue will no longer be coated with as many germs, so it won’t spread it around to your teeth.
Bottom line: if you want to maximize oral hygiene, you'll use a tongue scraper regularly to clean your tongue.
While mouthwash and oral rinses can be effective hygiene products, they don’t fully clean the surface of your tongue.
Your tongue’s textured surface is made up of millions of tiny bumps that form the taste buds we use to sense the taste of foods and beverages. This textured surface provides all kinds of tiny nooks and crannies in which germs can hide.
Using a mouthwash can sweep away some of the germs, but not all. In contrast, a tongue scraper can push down slightly onto the surface of your tongue and physically scrape away a lot of germs. It’s a more direct removal method compared to the swishing force of even the most potent oral rinse.
This being said, a good mouthwash never hurts. Supersmile’s Oral Rinse Mouthwash is both a germs cleaning and whitening solution that works well in conjunction with electric toothbrushes and tongue scrapers. Add this oral rinse to your hygiene routine and your mouth will be cleaner than ever.
If you don’t decide to clean your tongue regularly, you can expect a few negative symptoms to arise and stick around, even if you have otherwise excellent oral hygiene.
Bad breath is just the start. Most bad breath is caused by germs that consume sugars in your food and produce sulfurous odors as a result. If you let the germs sit around on your tongue, bad breath isn’t just a likelihood: it’s a guarantee.
Additionally, the germs that coats your tongue can gradually cover tastebuds as well. While you won’t fully lose your sense of taste, it will be dulled significantly. Use a tongue scraper even once and you’ll likely be able to tell the difference between before and after.
Leaving germs to sit around on your tongue is also bad for the rest of your oral hygiene. That germs can spread to the teeth and gums easier than you think, negating any progress you make with brushing and flossing your teeth.
There’s something to be said for the unsightly white coating that forms on the surface of your tongue if you don’t use a scraper regularly. If the germs progress far enough, it can even get near the tip of your tongue and be visible when you talk with your friends or significant others.
Perhaps worst of all, not cleaning your tongue could lead to a higher risk of infection. Gum injuries or cavities will be more susceptible to infection thanks to the prevalence of extra germs on your tongue's surface. This can, in turn, lead to much worse dental and oral problems down the road, such as gingivitis or rotten teeth.
In general, it's a good idea to clean your tongue with a tongue scraper about as often as you brush your teeth. You can skip this from time to time, but scraping your tongue twice per day – once in the morning and once in the evening – will go a long way to preventing germs build-up on the surface of your tongue.
If you use a high-quality tongue scraper, you won’t have to worry about rubbing your tongue raw or damaging the taste buds there. A tongue scraper can be used multiple times per day without causing sensitivity or other issues.
Plus, scraping your tongue each time you brush your teeth makes it easy to remember this vital part of a holistic oral hygiene routine. Just add it to your daily dental regimen – floss, brush, scrape, and rinse – and you’ll never forget to give your tongue the same attention that you do your teeth.
In the end, you should brush or preferably scrape your tongue regularly if you want to benefit from better breath and avoid worse dental hygiene overall. This is an often overlooked part of holistic oral care, but it’s a vital component of a full routine nonetheless.
Luckily for you, you can find a pack of affordable and effective tongue scrapers right on Supersmile. We also offer many other tools you might need to complete your oral hygiene routine, including an electric toothbrush, high-quality and professional whitening toothpaste, and even top-tier floss to get in between your teeth and protect your gums. Check out our online store to browse our entire selection!
Sources:
A Cochrane systematic review finds tongue scrapers | NCBI
Tongue Scraping: 5 Benefits, Side Effects, Using a Spoon, and More | Healthline
The effect of tongue scraper on mutans streptococci and lactobacilli | NCBI
Why You Should Be Brushing Your Tongue | Healthline
Impact of tongue cleansers on microbial load and taste | Wiley Library
]]>Toothaches can be symptoms of several underlying conditions, including gum disease, jaw injuries, and more.
Let’s take a closer look at the causes of toothaches and various ways you can treat them at home or with a dentist’s assistance.
Toothaches can be caused by several issues or chronic conditions. Here are some of the most common factors that can contribute to a recurring toothache.
A mouth or jaw injury can lead to a toothache by either causing damage to the tooth itself or irritating the nerves underlying one or more teeth. A basic example is getting a cut on your gums beneath a tooth – if the cut is deep enough, it could irritate the nerves and lead to tooth pain.
Being hit in the jaw can also lead to tooth pain. In particularly severe cases, it’s possible to be hit hard enough that your tooth disconnects from its nerve even if it isn’t knocked out of your mouth, causing chronic pain.
Upper tooth pain in particular may be caused by a sinus infection. The sinuses are cavities behind your nose and eyes. You might occasionally suffer from sinusitis, which occurs when your sinuses are inflamed due to bacterial or viral infections.
The roots of your upper teeth are near your sinuses. Therefore, if they inflame, they may also irritate those roots and lead to toothaches.
Tooth infections or abscesses may also lead to recurring toothaches. An abscess or infection can be caused by a physical injury or by a cavity that has progressed too far.
Over time, a cavity exposes the roots and nerves of your teeth, leading to irritation, sensitivity, and painful aches. This is just one big reason why it’s important to maintain optimal dental hygiene as well as you can.
TMJ disorders affect the temporomandibular joint, which is a kind of sliding hinge that connects your jawbone to your greater skull. There's one joint on either side of your jaw. If you have a disorder in this area, your jaw joint may feel pain, and surrounding tooth nerves – especially in the back molars – may also feel pain as a side effect.
TMJ disorders can be caused by any number of things, including genetics, jaw injuries, or even arthritis.
Gum disease may also cause toothaches. The roots and nerves of your teeth are buried in the gums, so any bacterial or viral infections that affect the gums can lead to tooth sensitivity and recurring aches.
Also called bruxism, grinding your teeth at night can lead to recurring tooth pain. By clenching your jaw and grinding your teeth together, you overstimulate the nerves and roots and may even wear down your teeth's enamel over time.
If this occurs, the roots and nerves can become more sensitive and inflamed. A toothache may result.
Although there are lots of different ways in which you might get a toothache to begin with, there are also many ways to get rid of toothaches without having to get rid of an aching tooth overall.
Common painkiller medications like ibuprofen or aspirin can be effective choices for getting rid of toothaches. These medicines and others like them use a key active ingredient called acetaminophen, which is a pain-relieving compound that can also reduce inflammation.
However, these treatments must be used repeatedly to keep pain down, and you have to be careful not to overdose.
You might also use a 3% solution with hydrogen peroxide to reduce pain and inflammation in your mouth. While you can dilute a hydrogen peroxide solution, you’re better off using a mouthwash with hydrogen peroxide as one of many mouth-healthy ingredients, such as Supersmile’s Oral Rinse.
This can get rid of certain types of bacteria and viruses and help to soothe gum or tooth inflammation.
Numbing pastes can work similarly by directly numbing the nerves of your gums or teeth. You can get numbing pastes at local pharmacies or grocery stores, or your dentist may prescribe a stronger numbing paste if your toothache has become almost unbearable.
An ice pack or cold compress can do the job as well. Like a numbing paste, icy implements soothe the nerves by cooling them down and constricting the tissues in the immediate area. By stamping down on nerve signals in the gums or teeth, your toothache pain should be at least partly alleviated.
Ice packs can be applied to the outside of your mouth or the jaw. Some people have success sucking on ice cubes as well.
In the meantime, you should take steps to avoid any overly acidic, cold, or hard foods in your diet. All of these food types can exacerbate toothache symptoms.
Acidic foods can wear down tooth enamel and further expose the roots of your teeth to pain and inflammation. Overly cold foods can exacerbate tooth sensitivity, especially when they touch your teeth directly instead of the gums below.
Hard foods are similar, as they are capable of inflaming the nerves of your teeth when your teeth crunch down on tough food items.
If your toothache doesn’t go away on its own, it may be time to see a dentist. Here are a few ways you can know when it’s time to schedule an appointment.
A toothache that occurs in conjunction with a fever or a headache is a sign of a deeper infection that your body has detected and is trying to fight off. A headache may be a sign that the virus or bacteria have reached your sinuses (leading to sinusitis), while a fever is the body’s natural response to infection.
If you have difficulty swallowing or breathing, there may be bacteria or viruses in your throat tissue. This can lead to immediate medical emergencies, so you should schedule an appointment with your dentist and/or a doctor as soon as you can.
Minor toothaches aren’t always big deals. But if your toothache lasts for more than two days straight, it may be a sign of a deeper underlying condition like a cavity or a rotten tooth.
Gum disease can be detected in part through abnormally red gums. This may be a sign that you need antibiotics or more intense dental treatments.
Recurring pain when you bite any kind of food, not just hard or cold foods, is a sign that your toothache is a symptom of a deeper root cause.
Off-white discharge in your mouth may be due to bacterial build-up or another sign of a deeper infection. Schedule an appointment with your dentist ASAP.
When you visit your dentist, they’ll be able to provide several types of procedures or treatments depending on what you need.
If your toothache is caused by one or more cavities, your dentist can take care of those cavities by drilling away any remaining infected tooth matter, then filling in the spot with a resin or metallic filling. A filling prevents an infection from taking hold in the same place again.
If your cavity or other toothache condition has progressed too far, however, your dentist may need to extract the tooth and remove it entirely. Your tooth will either be replaced or your teeth will be left to progressively close the gap.
A root canal is an in-between procedure from a cavity and a tooth extraction. With a root canal, your dentist will drill through the top of your tooth and remove any infected pulp in the affected tooth. Then they will fill in the drilled area with resin and place a protective cap over the tooth to prevent further infections.
If your toothache is related to something else, your dentist may prescribe antibiotics to take care of the bacteria causing the toothache.
Ultimately, it’s important to pay attention to any toothaches you get, as tracking your progress will let you know when it’s appropriate to contact a dentist.
In the meantime, you can double down on your dental hygiene routine by checking out Supersmile’s oral hygiene products.
Whether you need a fluoride-infused toothpaste, good floss to scrape away plaque, or a toothbrush to keep your teeth clean, we can help!
Sources:
Toothaches: Causes, Treatments, and Prevention | Healthline
Toothaches: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Remedies | WebMD
Toothaches: Causes, Treatments, and Prevention | WebMD
Toothache: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention | Cleveland Clinic
]]>Indeed, lots of people scrape their toothbrushes across their teeth for a few seconds and call it a day. Then they’re surprised when their dentist reports that they have one or more cavities. Odds are it was because of improper brushing.
To avoid an outcome like this, you have to know how to brush your teeth with either a standard and electric toothbrush for maximum effect.
Let’s break good brushing technique down in detail now.
No matter whether you’re using a standard or electric toothbrush, you should follow a basic hygiene routine when brushing your teeth to remove as much plaque and germs as possible.
Start by flossing your teeth, not brushing. Flossing before brushing your teeth is beneficial because it can break up hardened germs and plaque, allowing that plaque to be brushed away by your toothbrush afterward.
Flossing first also ensures that you always remember to do this part of your hygiene routine instead of skipping it.
Next, take your toothbrush and wet it with tap water (especially if your tap water is infused with fluoride). Wetting your brush helps to soften the bristles and prevents them from scraping your gums or teeth too hard.
However, be sure to read the instructions for any toothpaste you plan to use with your brush. Some toothpaste products don’t require wetting.
For example, Supersmile’s Professional Whitening Toothpaste and Accelerator should not be placed on wet toothbrush heads. That’s because both formulas activate upon contact with water. For the best results, they should only become wet when they touch your mouth.
After wetting and/or putting toothpaste on your toothbrush, set your toothbrush in your mouth at a 45° angle relative to the surfaces of your teeth. A 45° angle helps the bristles hit the surfaces of your teeth indirectly while still providing enough force to remove embedded plaque and germs.
This special angle also prevents the erosion of enamel and damage to the gumline.
You can save yourself a little effort by purchasing toothbrushes that are designed to maintain 45° angles no matter how you hold the brush or which teeth you are brushing. Supersmile’s manual and electric toothbrushes both come with this feature by default: it’s just another reason why our brushes are the best.
As you move the toothbrush around your teeth, be sure to maneuver the toothbrush head in small, circular motions. These motions are ideal for removing plaque and germs, as well as brushing the overall surface area of individual teeth.
In other words, small, circular motions prevent you from missing any spots on your teeth and allowing plaque to develop.
When brushing your teeth, be sure not to only brush the chewing surfaces. While the chewing surfaces definitely need a lot of attention (as they are exposed to the most food), you also need to brush the outer and inner surfaces of each individual tooth.
The inner surfaces are often ignored by many people, probably because they don’t see them directly. But the inner surfaces provide havens for germs and plaque to collect. Brush everywhere on your teeth for maximum cleanliness.
Your tongue is another haven for germs. Stick it out in front of the mirror and you’ll likely see a bunch of off-white stuff on its surface.
Give the surface of your tongue a quick brush with your toothbrush. For even better results, we’d recommend using a tongue scraper: a specialized tool that can remove the majority of germs from your tongue. As an added benefit, this will likely improve your breath since halitosis-causing germs won’t be sticking around on your tongue all day.
Supersmile has just the thing: our Ripple Edge Tongue Cleaner pack. This pack of three tongue scrapers can help you enjoy a healthier mouth and fresher breath in no time. Plus, each scraper is ergonomically designed for ease-of-use and comfort.
After brushing your teeth and/or tongue (for two minutes!), you can rinse your mouth out and enjoy minty freshness. The only time you don’t want to rinse is if you are using a specialized fluoride-infused toothpaste, like a prescription paste ordered by your dentist.
These pastes are meant to settle in your mouth for a little while so the extra fluoride can remineralize your teeth and reduce cavity formation.
You need a few big tools to brush your teeth correctly. Many of these are probably in your bathroom cabinet already.
You need a toothbrush, obviously. Toothbrushes come in both standard or manual and electric versions. Electric toothbrushes are recommended by most dentists due to their increased efficacy and ease of use.
You’ll also need toothpaste. Fluoride-infused toothpaste is the go-to choice for most people, as fluoride can remineralize tooth enamel and promote tooth health overall.
However, you might need fluoride-free toothpaste for your kids or because of other health issues. Fluoride-free toothpaste can still be effective, provided it is made with quality ingredients.
Don’t forget floss! Floss also comes in a few different types, but any type of floss will do provided you follow the correct flossing technique.
We’d also recommend mouthwash or oral rinses. These can maximize dental hygiene by sweeping away any remaining plaque or germs and making it difficult for new plaque to form for 24 hours or more.
Electric toothbrushes are flatly superior to manual brushes in almost every case. There are a few reasons why.
The constant rotations and vibrations of electric toothbrush heads are likely better at removing embedded plaque on the surfaces of your teeth, even if you were to use a manual toothbrush with significant arm strength.
Additionally, electric toothbrushes are easier for people to use if they have limited mobility or soreness in their hands.
Plenty of the best electric toothbrushes include two-minute timers, making it easy to make sure that you brush your teeth for an adequate amount of time each session.
Electric toothbrushes, by removing the need for you to time yourself, can help you improve your focus and make sure you brush every tooth individually.
Lastly, electric toothbrushes are also better for people who have braces due to their increased ease of use and better cleaning potential.
Many electric toothbrushes are designed with 45° angles so you can brush easily and thoroughly without expending too much effort. Supersmile’s Zina45 Sonic Pulse Toothbrush demonstrates this capability, featuring a polishing head, four unique cleaning modes, and an ergonomic handle to go with a 45° angled head.
However, you might consider moderating your strength when using an electric toothbrush.
It’s easy to go overboard and bruise your gums if you press down hard with an electric brush. In most cases, you don’t need to press down hard at all to get rid of plaque.
Nearly all dentists recommend electric toothbrushes over manual toothbrushes. The bristle movements they produce are faster than any a human hand could make, so they are flatly more effective at cleaning teeth.
You should either replace a manual toothbrush (or replace an electric toothbrush’s head) about once every three months. Toothbrush bristles gradually degrade over time, becoming less effective at cleaning away plaque and germs.
Additionally, germs can build up on the head of your toothbrush with time. Switching out your old toothbrush for a new one mitigates the risk of you spreading germs around your teeth and gums, plus ensures that you get excellent brushing results every time.
Most dentists recommend that you brush your teeth twice per day, once in the morning and once in the evening. You should also brush after eating breakfast and dinner to minimize the amount of time your teeth have food particles on their surfaces or in between them.
You can brush up to three times per day if recommended by your dentist, but this is generally not a good idea. Over-brushing can wear down enamel and damage your gums.
Ultimately, your brushing technique will only be maximally effective if you have the right tools for the job. Check out Supersmile’s online store now for electric toothbrushes, fluoride-infused toothpaste, and more.
Sources:
Brush Teeth | American Dental Association
Should I Floss or Brush First? | AAO
How Often Should You Change Your Toothbrush? | Healthline
Electric toothbrushes win the head-to-head against manual | Dental Health.org
]]>Tooth abscesses can be worrying, but there are a number of means by which to tell whether you have an abscess and how to take care of the problem once you've identified it. Let’s take a closer look at tooth abscesses and break down everything you need to know now.
A tooth abscess is essentially a pocket of pus that forms because of a bacterial infection. Depending on the root cause of the abscess, it may occur in different spots throughout the tooth, as bacterial infections can take hold in different places.
For example, periapical tooth abscesses occur at the tips of tooth roots (the connective channels that lead from the tooth’s pulp down into the jaw). Periodontal tooth abscesses occur in the gums near the sides of tooth roots. Meanwhile, gingival abscesses are abscesses that take place exclusively on the gums, not necessarily the teeth.
Tooth abscesses always cause moderate to severe pain. But if left unchecked, abscesses can turn into life-threatening conditions.
Tooth abscesses are always caused by bacteria, but the means by which bacteria burrows into the teeth can vary from person to person.
Tooth decay is a progressive condition that develops if you don’t properly brush and floss your teeth. Left unchecked, bacterial wear down the enamel and dentin of your teeth, eventually giving bacteria the opportunity to form an abscess.
For example, with a periapical abscess, bacteria enter the pulp of your teeth through a cavity and destroy the tissue within.
A tooth injury, like a cracked tooth from a blow to the face or a fall, can also allow bacteria the opportunity to enter the pulp of your teeth and form an abscess within.
Gingivitis is a type of progressive gum disease that leads to bacteria forming in and beneath the gums. In some cases, an abscess can form in your gums or in the teeth around infected gum tissue.
Periodontitis is a very serious condition that occurs when bacterial infections destroy gum tissue and some bone tissue that connects your teeth to your jaw. If left unchecked, it could lead to tooth loss or loose teeth, as well as tooth abscesses.
An improperly performed root canal or tooth filling treatment can also lead to bacterial infection in the pulp or roots of your teeth. These infections, in turn, can lead to tooth abscesses.
Tooth abscesses can cause a number of uncomfortable symptoms.
The most common symptom of a tooth abscess is moderate to severe tooth pain, like a really bad toothache. In general, the abscess pain will start suddenly and progressively become worse.
Even worse, the pain can eventually radiate to your ear, neck, or jaw. The pain may become worse when you lie down or when you perform certain motions, like chewing or biting.
You may also experience a bitter taste in your mouth. This is due to you tasting the bacteria in the abscess, which may be spreading to other teeth or gum tissue in your mouth if the abscess is not treated quickly.
Additionally, abscesses can suddenly rupture if pressure is placed on them from biting or other activities. When this occurs, the pain may fade away but you will also likely experience a sudden bad taste as pus drains out and touches your tongue.
Similarly, you may discover bad breath becomes worse when you have a tooth abscess. Most bad breath or halitosis is caused by bacterial build-up in the mouth, so it’s no surprise that bad breath accompanies abscesses in most cases. The smell will be similar to that of a rotting tooth.
As mentioned, you may experience more intense pain when chewing if you have one or more tooth abscesses.
The lymph nodes are located in your neck or under your jaw. These can become tender or swollen if you have a tooth abscess.
The pain in your teeth could eventually progress to the nerve endings in your head, leading to a headache or other head-related pains.
Additional tooth sensitivity may also occur, leading to intense sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures from the air or from foods or beverages.
Fortunately, tooth abscesses can be treated in a number of ways.
A warm salt water rinse can help to mitigate pain and eliminate bacteria in the abscessed area. However, it may not fully eliminate the abscess.
Your doctor or periodontist may prescribe antibiotics to progressively eliminate the bacterial infection. They may also do this to prevent the infection from spreading to your bloodstream.
OTC pain medication like ibuprofen or aspirin can help to mitigate the worst pain of a tooth abscess through acetaminophen: a key active ingredient that is used for many types of OTC pain medicines.
Most likely, you’ll have to go to a dentist to get your abscess fully treated. Your dentist may perform one of several procedures based on the progress of the abscess and its location.
If your abscess is primarily caused by one or more cavities, your dentist will treat these by filling them and illuminating the bacterial infections in your teeth.
A root canal may be necessary if your cavities have progressed to infect the roots of your teeth. This treatment is more invasive but will prevent the same teeth from being as vulnerable to infection in the future.
If a tooth is too far gone to be saved, your dentist may extract it, removing the abscess attached to the affected tooth at the same time.
In certain cases, surgery may be required to eliminate infected gum and tooth tissue, as well as to remove any abscesses without spreading pus to other teeth or gum tissue in the mouth.
If left unchecked, hospitalization may be required to fully treat the abscess and make sure that you don’t experience any dangerous side effects.
Tooth abscesses are not incredibly common, but they may be more likely for certain individuals.
If you have a cavity or a cracked tooth and don’t get it treated quickly, you may be at a higher risk for a tooth abscess.
A biannual cleaning appointment with your dentist is necessary to catch cavities before they go too far and to prevent the formation of cavities in the first place. Skip your dentist appointments and you’ll be at a higher risk for tooth decay, and therefore tooth abscesses.
An autoimmune disease or chemotherapy treatment can destroy tissues in the mouth and weaken the immune system, leading to a higher likelihood of bacterial infections overall.
It depends on the intensity of the bacterial infection. In general, a tooth infection can go untreated for several weeks before it becomes life-threatening. No one should let it get this far, however.
If you start to run a fever or you feel more than one tooth becoming sore or pained, it’s likely that the infection is spreading into your bloodstream and you need medical attention immediately.
In some cases. But it’s always a better idea to get help from a dentist and doctor, as they can prescribe antibiotics and other treatments to ensure your survival.
Ultimately, a tooth abscess can progress to a very serious condition if you don’t treat it quickly and take steps to eliminate the bacterial infection ASAP. It’s always a better strategy to avoid tooth abscesses in the first place, which you can do with high-quality dental tools and products.
Fortunately, Supersmile is ready and waiting for your order. You can check out our online store to find a wide variety of high-quality dental cleaning products, including electric toothbrushes, fluoride-infused toothpaste, floss, tongue scrapers, and more.
If you need help maintaining top-tier oral hygiene, Supersmile is the place to go to get the original smile-brightening, oral-healthy formulas your mouth deserves.
Sources:
Tooth abscess - Symptoms and causes | Mayo Clinic
Home Remedies for Abscess Tooth: 10 Remedies for Swelling and Pain | Healthline
Tooth Abscess: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment | WebMD
Symptoms of Tooth Infection Spreading to Body | Healthline
Tooth infection spreading to the body: Signs and symptoms | Medical News Today
]]>Most human adults have a full set of 32 adult teeth. This is 12 more than the number of baby teeth we begin life with (20). However, the majority of people these days have the last four teeth to grow in removed during a dental procedure.
Wisdom teeth emerge last and are removed for a variety of reasons, ranging from infection risk to smile aesthetics and more. All adult teeth are irreplaceable, so if they are knocked out or fall out they must be replaced by a dental implant.
Let’s take a closer look at human teeth and dive into some more specifics so you can appreciate the tools that make enjoying your favorite foods possible.
Technically, no.
For starters, all people first grow a set of 20 baby teeth (also called milk teeth) as infants. These teeth start to develop before you’re born (just like your adult teeth) but don’t fully emerge until between 6 and 12 months after birth.
Then, once you reach the age of five or six, the baby teeth fall out and make way for adult teeth.
Although most adults develop a full set of all 32 teeth, there are some exceptions. Some people never develop their wisdom teeth, for instance, through genetic mutations. Other people may have fewer than average teeth because of similar genetic happenstance.
Dentists usually catch tooth-count anomalies early, as they take x-rays of teeth from the earliest dental cleaning appointments. All of your adult teeth are actually present in your skull from birth – they just take time to “erupt”.
The 32 adult teeth that comprise a full set are themselves classified into four types of teeth. Each tooth type has a specific role for chewing or grinding down food and has a slightly different shape.
Your incisors include the four front teeth on both the top and bottom of your mouth, so there are eight total. As their name suggests, incisors are used for slicing and cutting food, as well as pulling teeth into your mouth. If you tear chicken from a drumstick, for example, your incisors help to make it happen by gripping the food tightly.
Incisors are also interesting since they can help you detect the texture and type of food you’re putting in your mouth.
Your canines number four: they are the pointy “vampire” teeth on the top and bottom of your mouth. Also called cuspids, these are used to tear and grab food like meat or fruit, as well as to puncture the skin of vegetables or animal flesh.
You have eight premolars if you have a full set of adult teeth. They’re between the cuspids and the molars (the very back teeth in your mouth), although they are more similar in appearance to molars. Their big difference from regular molars is the presence of cuspids, which help to grip and tear food. For this reason, premolars are also sometimes called bicuspids.
Lastly, you have eight molar teeth on top and bottom, as well as another four molars called the wisdom teeth. Your molar teeth have broad chewing surfaces, serving the purpose of grinding food down into small boluses before swallowing. Wisdom teeth are particularly durable, but most adults don’t use their wisdom teeth for a variety of reasons.
In the United States, the American Dental Association uses a Universal Numbering System to notate different teeth and to help dentists quickly communicate with one another when they need to talk about specific teeth or discuss upcoming surgeries.
The numbering system operates from the assumption that a dental practitioner is looking into an open mouth and begins clockwise starting from the farthest right maxillary (upper) tooth.
For example, the uppermost and rightmost molar is called the third molar, and it’s number 1. The next is the second molar, numbered 2, and so on.
Milk teeth are just another name for baby teeth. Infants’ milk teeth actually start to develop before they are born. But the teeth don’t puncture through the gums until the ages of 6 to 12 months. The full set of milk teeth are grown by the time children are three on average.
The teeth are then used for chewing and grinding food until the ages of five or six. The teeth then start to fall out and make way for adult teeth.
Teens experience tooth loss progressively, likely as an evolutionary adaptation to reduce any time periods where no teeth are available. As a result, children lose all of their baby teeth and have a full set of adult teeth by the ages of 12 to 14.
Simply put, it’s because of mouth size. Babies don’t have enough room to hold a full set of adult teeth, but they still need teeth to chew their food. Therefore, babies have an impermanent set of teeth they can use until their mouths are large enough to accommodate full adult teeth.
No, but most do. It’s thought that wisdom teeth were essential for early humans, whose diet consisted of tough roots, leaves, nuts, and uncooked meat. The wisdom teeth helped to grind food down much more thoroughly.
These days, almost all of our food is cooked. So we no longer need wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth crowd most adults’ mouths when they erupt and can lead to crooked smiles, cavities, and even broken teeth.
So most adults decide to get their wisdom teeth removed sometime in their late teens or early 20s. On rare occasions, your wisdom teeth may not need to be removed. For example, maybe your mouth is large enough to accommodate all your teeth without crookedness, or your wisdom teeth are smaller than average.
Regardless of the number of teeth you have, you have to take care of them through thorough brushing technique and regular flossing.
Let’s break down how you can take care of your teeth to avoid cavities and other dental issues.
Manual toothbrushes are no longer recommended as the go-to solution for thorough dental health. Nowadays, dentists recommend electric toothbrushes with heads situated at 45° angles for maximum efficacy.
Take Supersmile’s Zina45 Sonic Pulse Brush. This high-quality toothbrush comes with a specialized 45° angled head by default, so you never have to worry that you aren’t brushing as thoroughly as possible.
Even better, it comes with a two minute timer and several different brushing modes. In short, it has everything you need to brush your teeth efficiently and contribute to any tooth whitening effort.
It’s also a good idea to invest in an oral rinse mouthwash. Mouthwashes can remove plaque and germs and make it difficult for plaque to form for up to 24 hours after use. Even better, they can freshen your breath.
Our Oral Rinse Mouthwash is a perfect example of these claims in action. Not only does it get rid of plaque and germs, but it also helps to whiten your teeth over time. When combined with whitening toothpaste or accelerator products, you’ll likely see whitening gains of up to six shades in a couple of weeks!
You’ll want to combine your electric toothbrush with quality toothpaste preferably infused with fluoride (unless you have health reasons to avoid this re-mineralizing agent).
Supersmile has several different toothpastes to choose from. Our Professional Whitening Toothpaste is packed with both fluoride and Calprox: our proprietary protecting and whitening agent that doesn’t increase tooth sensitivity. You can alternatively try our Extra Whitening Toothpaste for even more whitening results.
In summary, average human adults have 32 teeth, whereas all babies start off growing a set of 20 “milk teeth”. Over time, baby teeth are replaced by adult teeth and most people get their wisdom teeth removed in early adulthood to preserve the straightness of their teeth and avoid dental complications.
No matter how many teeth you happen to have, be sure to take care of them using a top-tier toothbrush, a quality toothpaste, and a thorough oral rinse mouthwash that can get rid of plaque and germs. If you need any of these tools or more, Supersmile’s online store has just what you need.
Sources:
American Dental Association Universal Numbering System | Radiology Reference Article
How Many Teeth Do Adults Have: On Top, On Bottom, and Babies | Healthline
Baby Teeth Eruption Charts | American Dental Association
Teeth Names: Shape and Function of Four Types of Teeth | Healthline
Wisdom Teeth: What They Look Like & Other Things To Know | Web MD
]]>Unfortunately, many people don’t pay enough attention to their gums, leading to gum recession. Gum recession can be caused by a variety of factors or dental hygiene habits.
Let’s take a closer look at gum recession and investigate ways in which to treat or prevent this issue from cropping up in the first place.
Your gums might recede due to several potential causes or underlying conditions.
Gum diseases are one of the most common origins of gum recession. These diseases are usually caused by high amounts of bacteria which eventually destroy gum tissue. Given enough time, gum diseases can chew through the bones that support your teeth and keep them fixed to your jaw, leading to weak or rotting teeth.
In the worst cases, gum disease can lead to overall infection as the bacteria from your gums reaches your bloodstream.
Just as over-brushing can negatively affect your tooth health, it can also affect your gums. You should brush your teeth twice per day for two minutes per session, but no more unless told to by your dentist.
If you brush your gums too frequently, you can eventually cause them to sustain damage and recede. Additionally, your teeth’s enamel will be worn down over time, opening up your teeth to a greater likelihood of cavities or tooth decay.
The reverse is also true; if you don’t brush your teeth and gums frequently enough, you could expose your gums to gum disease and swelling. While this will temporarily cause your gums to inflame, it will eventually cause them to recede as well, exposing the roots of your teeth and leading to other dental problems.
Women in particular may experience hormonal changes that can lead to gum recession. Women’s hormones fluctuate more dramatically than men’s, such as during pregnancy or menopause. This can make gums more sensitive and potentially recede, although this is not a guaranteed effect for all women.
Your genetics can play a role in whether you are at risk for gum recession. Some people simply have lower than average gumlines in general, and some folks are more susceptible to gum disease regardless of how well the gums and teeth are cared for.
Tobacco products are better overall for your health, but they are also bad for your gums. Tobacco can cause sticky plaque to form on your teeth and gums, leading to gum disease and recession.
Be cautious when considering getting a lip or tongue piercing. Either of these alterations introduces jewelry into the mouth, which may cause them to rub the gums and irritate them. Given enough time, the jewelry can wear away gum tissue, leading to permanent recession and further dental health problems.
Those who habitually grind or clench their teeth are at an increased risk for gum disease. When you grind or clench your teeth, you put extra pressure on the teeth and may cause the gums to recede as a side effect.
Some people also have naturally crooked teeth or a so-called “misaligned bite”. If your teeth don’t come together evenly or as intended, each bite could cause too much force to be applied on the gums and bones of your teeth rather than the teeth themselves.
Over time, this can also cause gums to recede.
There are tons of different reasons why you might experience gum recession, either temporarily or as a chronic condition. Fortunately, there are also several ways to treat receding gums.
Since most receding gums are caused because of bacterial infections, deep cleaning of the gums and the spaces between the teeth is sometimes necessary to treat this issue.
Your dentist may be able to tackle this during a routine cleaning session, such as during one of your biannual cleaning appointments. Deep cleaning is typically uncomfortable, however, so it’s advised to practice good dental hygiene to avoid needing a deep clean in the first place.
If a bacterial infection has progressed further, your dentist or doctor may also prescribe antibiotics. The antibiotics will be absorbed by your bloodstream and gradually work to diminish a gum-based bacterial infection.
Some of the worst cases of receding gums may require surgery. Surgical procedures involve directly removing bacterial pockets or infections from the affected gum tissue and sometimes replacing gum tissues with other tissues in the mouth.
In addition to the above techniques, surgical procedures can be used to treat long-term or progressive gum recession. These techniques will be performed by a dentist or another licensed medical practitioner (such as a periodontist or gum specialist).
In some of the worst-case scenarios, the bones that support your teeth may become destroyed due to long-term gum recession. In these cases, your dentist may recommend a procedure to regenerate any lost bone tissue.
In this surgery, your dentist folds back gum tissue, removes bacteria, and uses a graft or other regenerative materials to help the body naturally regenerate bone matter in the affected area.
Also called a soft tissue graft, gum tissue graft procedures are recommended for those who have experienced intense gum disease.
In the most common of these, called the connective tissue graft, a small amount of skin is cut from the roof of your mouth or palate, which is then stitched to the gum tissue that surrounds any exposed tooth roots. This effectively replaces damaged tissue with healthy tissue in the hope that both affected areas will recover.
Your dentist may instead recommend a surgical procedure called open flap scaling and root planing. With this procedure, your periodontist will fold back infected gum tissue and remove any harmful bacteria. They will then secure the gum tissue back over your tooth roots. It’s sort of like a cavity filling or root canal but for your gums instead of your teeth.
Yes. It’s always advisable to do your best to prevent gum recession in the first place rather than have to deal with surgery or other treatments.
If you smoke, consider quitting as soon as possible. Smoking is bad for your health in general, but it does a number on your gum and tooth health. If you quit smoking, you’ll enjoy better dental hygiene and better breath.
You should also consider adjusting your diet to be more balanced and nutritious. If you eat a lot of sugary or acidic foods, your gums could become irritated and eventually recede, exposing the roots of your teeth to decay.
Be sure to pay close attention to the ongoing health of your mouth. Dental hygiene is a never-ending effort, and you should watch your gums for any signs of recession or overall poor health so you can get a jump on any conditions at the first sign of trouble.
Practice excellent dental hygiene as well. Direct tooth care usually results in you taking good care of your gums as well, which will lower the likelihood of gum disease and recession.
Technically, no. If your gums have receded to the point where some tissue has been lost, they cannot be replaced naturally. Therefore, it has to be replaced by a synthetic alternative or a graft of tissue from elsewhere in your mouth.
Like enamel, however, it’s not too late if your gums have just started to recede. Proper oral hygiene (and using high-quality toothpaste and mouthwash) combined with some of the strategies above can help your gums recover before any permanent damage is done.
Receding gums are painful and oftentimes debilitating. This condition not only leads to gum pain and health problems, but also typically leads to further dental issues like cavities or rotten teeth. Therefore, it’s important to avoid gum recession if at all possible and to treat any receding gums as soon as you see them.
Fortunately, you can practice excellent oral hygiene and minimize your risk of gum disease with Supersmile’s collection of advanced oral tools and effective hygiene products. For example, our Professional Whitening Floss is perfect for getting plaque between teeth. Or try our Zina45 Sonic Pulse Brush, which is ideal for maintaining top-tier dental health.
Sources:
Receding Gums: Causes, Treatment, Surgery, and Prevention | WebMD
Receding gums: Causes, symptoms, and treatment | Medical News Today
Do receding gums grow back? Treatments and prevention | Medical News Today
Receding Gums: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and More | Healthline
]]>Charcoal toothpaste has become one of the most popularized (and advertised) solutions to whiten your teeth and cleanse them of plaque and germs at the same time.
In fact, it makes no sense to use charcoal to whiten your teeth under any circumstances. Charcoal might be abrasive, but abrasion does not necessarily equate to healthy whitening, and we’ll explain why.
Charcoal toothpaste contains activated charcoal as its primary (and main) ingredient. Activated charcoal is mildly abrasive.
For example, when you use charcoal toothpaste and scrape it across your teeth, it does indeed remove any embedded plaque or staining particles in your enamel. The only trouble is… that’s not really whitening. It’s just using abrasive force to get rid of food that regular toothpaste could have helped you fix anyway.
Indeed, a true tooth whitening product can take care of both stains on the surface of your teeth (in the enamel layer) and stains below the enamel, in the dentin of your teeth. Activated charcoal doesn’t go below the enamel until it has worn down the enamel layer and caused potentially irreversible damage.
Not at all. As mentioned, charcoal toothpaste can gradually grind down the enamel layer of your teeth. This enamel layer is a protective shield that guards the dentin and pulp of your teeth against germs, physical damage, and even hot or cold foods that could otherwise cause sensitivity.
While our enamel layer is great, it can’t be fully rebuilt or regenerated once it is gone.
Therefore, using charcoal toothpaste regularly is fully detrimental to your teeth and can gradually make them more sensitive or vulnerable to cavities.
Simply put, charcoal toothpaste is a risky “whitening” solution that’s far inferior to many other whitening products.
The charcoal toothpaste fad didn’t come out of nowhere. People started using charcoal toothpaste because of several dramatic claims about its effectiveness or health.
Let’s tackle these myths one by one.
Charcoal toothpaste companies claim that activated charcoal can capably remove surface stains. But that’s not true.
As we explained above, all activated charcoal does is scrape away food particles and any other coloring material that might be embedded in your teeth’s enamel. That’s not whitening; that’s just regular abrasion!
Some people, for example, have tooth stains because they drink a lot of black coffee, which gradually colors their enamel. Activated charcoal doesn’t fix this issue. It just removes the enamel itself, leading to long-term dental problems.
Activated charcoal proponents will also claim that it can improve bad breath, especially when mixed with mint or other ingredients. This is technically true… But not for the reasons you think.
In fact, activated charcoal can only improve bad breath by lifting away germs and plaque, which regular toothpaste does already. In this way, it’s no better way than other types of toothpaste, particularly those with fluoride.
If you’re looking for a magical bad breath fixer, activated charcoal isn’t the answer.
Many fans of activated charcoal toothpaste also claim that charcoal can stop stains that sometimes crop up after professional cleaning or whitening sessions. These white spots occasionally appear due to decalcification, which is a side effect of exposure to too much fluoride.
These spots normally disappear on their own, especially if you maintain a well-balanced diet with plenty of calcium and use fluoride-infused toothpaste. Activated charcoal does nothing to prevent stains after professional cleanings, at least not more than other toothpaste products would as well.
As you can see, all of the allegedly unique benefits that activated charcoal toothpaste can provide either aren’t benefits at all or are also benefits provided by regular toothpaste products.
Because charcoal toothpaste doesn’t add anything beneficial or unique to your teeth-cleaning routine, it's more important to focus on the real effects that it actually causes.
Charcoal in general is abrasive, and that factor doesn’t change no matter how activated charcoal toothpaste companies mix the ingredient with other agents.
When you scrape activated charcoal on your teeth, you wear down the enamel layer and may permanently damage your teeth, as well as cause intense discomfort.
Although it’s really advertised as a whitening solution, activated charcoal can actually make your teeth look more yellow than they did before.
By wearing down your teeth’s enamel layer, your teeth’s dentin is gradually exposed. Dentin normally has a slightly yellowish color whereas enamel is white.
In the rare cases where activated charcoal does technically help to whiten teeth, it only does so on a short-term basis. Remember, to fully whiten your teeth, any solution has to remove stains embedded in the enamel and deeper stains that are embedded in the dentin: the layer of material underneath the enamel.
Activated charcoal can only scrape away stains on your teeth’s enamel, so it’s not a full-on whitening fix.
By removing your teeth’s enamel layer, activated charcoal can lead to increased tooth sensitivity. Enamel protects your teeth from germs, physical wear and tear, and high or low-temperature foods and drinks.
Without enamel, your teeth’s nerves will be more exposed to the pressures of chewing or from things like hot coffee or ice cream. All this can lead to much higher than average tooth sensitivity and intense discomfort.
Another major downside of charcoal toothpaste is the usual lack of fluoride. Most charcoal toothpaste products don’t contain any or enough fluoride, and fluoride is a key re-mineralization agent that can help to protect your teeth’s enamel layer.
In this way, activated charcoal is doubly bad for your teeth and their enamel!
If you have one or more dental restorations (such as false teeth), activated charcoal can ironically stain those restorations and ruin their appearance.
Given enough time, the charcoal particles can become embedded into the dental restoration material, leading to dark spots that will only be further worsened by using charcoal toothpaste again and again.
If you really want to look for active ingredients that can lead to long-term teeth whitening, you’ll want to prioritize the below compounds instead.
Hydrogen peroxide is a common whitening agent since it is a mild bleaching product. As a result, it can help to whiten minor to moderately stained teeth, especially when mixed with other whitening compounds in toothpaste products.
However, hydrogen peroxide can’t be overused as it may increase tooth sensitivity. It might also be a bad choice for people with naturally sensitive teeth.
Baking soda is commonly combined with hydrogen peroxide to create an at-home whitening solution. Baking soda can polish away mild stains on the surfaces of your teeth, especially since it’s not likely to grind away enamel if used correctly and not too frequently.
Baking soda can also fight off germs, reducing the formation and prevalence of plaque and preventing tooth decay as a result.
Calprox is a revolutionary and proprietary whitening agent developed by Dr. Irwin Smigel, designed to both whiten and protect your teeth simultaneously. Unlike plenty of other active whitening ingredients in toothpaste products, Calprox certainly won’t wear down your teeth’s enamel.
It’s only made with safe yet effective ingredients, and each product containing Calprox is clinically tested and proven to work before we send it to market. You can find Calprox in a wide range of our best offerings, including our Professional Whitening Toothpaste and Whitening Accelerator.
Speaking of a Whitening Accelerator, this special offer only from Supersmile is the perfect pick for people who want to whiten their teeth but who hate sensitivity. Paired with our Professional Whitening Toothpaste, our Whitening Accelerator uses Calprox and other gentle ingredients to eliminate plaque, remineralize and restore enamel, and avoid enamel abrasion.
Best of all, this whitening solution can whiten teeth up to six shades in 30 days on average without adding to sensitivity. As you can see, you don’t need to rely on activated charcoal to get the white smile you’ve always wanted.
Instead, see what Supersmile’s whitening products can do for you… without risking the strength of your enamel. We have it all, from fluoride toothpaste to electric toothbrushes to floss to tongue scrapers. And you need to maximize dental hygiene and whiten your smile, you can find out at our online store!
Sources:
Activated Charcoal: Uses and Risks | WebMD
Dentin and the Layers of Your Teeth | Very Well Health
Tooth Discoloration: Causes, Treatment & Prevention | Cleveland Clinic
Remineralizing Teeth: 11 Effective Home Remedies to Try | Healthline
]]>Both of these treatments can get rid of your pain and discomfort, but they result in totally different outcomes. A root canal involves cleaning out the roots of your teeth and replacing your tooth’s crown with an artificial match. A tooth extraction involves pulling the tooth entirely.
Those are some big differences! It’s tough to know which you should choose. Let’s break down all the different factors involved in root canals and extractions so you can consider your choices carefully before making a final decision.
A root canal involves removing the top or crown of an infected tooth, then using a series of drills or small handheld tools to remove the infected pulp from within the tooth's roots. By removing infected pulp from the tooth’s roots, an infection is stopped in its tracks and the tooth returns to normal function.
Because the pulp is removed from the tooth roots, however, the roots must be filled in with an artificial and sterile material that prevents infection from afflicting that particular tooth again. At the end of a root canal procedure, a new crown is set on top of the tooth. In this way, most of an infected tooth is retained. The tooth stays healthy since its tissues are nourished by the teeth surrounding it.
As opposed to a root canal, which preserves the majority of an infected tooth, a tooth extraction is performed to completely remove an infected or highly damaged tooth.
Visible teeth are typically extracted with a simple procedure – the tooth is pulled using handheld tools, and the tooth socket may be filled or closed over with sutures to prevent infection.
However, if a tooth is only partially visible or if it is fragmented, tooth extraction may be a more complex procedure and can involve more serious surgery. The tooth may need to be broken into pieces and your surgeon may need to cut into the jawbone to some extent.
All in all, root canals and tooth extractions are used for different needs and can often solve different problems.
People may choose between a root canal ended extraction when one or more of their teeth are seriously infected with bacteria.
Teeth can become infected with bacteria due to cavities, which develop when bacteria remain on the surface of a tooth long enough to dig through a tooth’s durable enamel layer and reach the dentin and pulp underneath.
Since cavities can be such big pains (literally!), it’s always a good idea to practice a thorough dental hygiene routine. Use fluoride-infused toothpaste, like Supersmile’s Professional Whitening Toothpaste, and floss as often as you brush your teeth. That’s the best way to stop bacteria from spreading too far.
A root canal and an extraction both solve the primary problem: an infected tooth is usually quite sensitive and painful and can also risk the infection spreading to other teeth or to the gums.
But root canals preserve most of the original tooth, whereas an extraction removes the tooth. With a tooth extraction, the tooth must either be replaced or existing teeth will fill in the gap depending on the shape of your mouth and how crowded it is.
Not sure which procedure to choose? Consider these major factors and discuss them with your dentist.
Do you want to save the original tooth as much as possible? If so, a root canal is the way to go. Although the crown of your tooth will be replaced, most of the original material will remain and it is unlikely others will be able to tell that you had a root canal in the first place.
On the flip side, if a particularly visible tooth must be extracted, such as one of your front teeth, its absence may be noticeable in pictures or in other circumstances.
You should also consider the recovery time associated with both procedures. Root canals typically take less time to fully recover from. Most patients fully recover within a few days.
In contrast, it’s not uncommon for tooth extraction procedures to require between 2 to 4 weeks for a full recovery. The soft tissues around the extracted tooth's location take some time to fully heal, which may limit your diet and activities.
In keeping with the above trend, root canals don’t usually take as much time for the procedure. Root canal therapy can be time-saving for patients since these procedures can be completed in one or two visits.
Tooth extraction procedures may take longer and may introduce further complications for patients.
Although it is highly dependent on your specific dentist or the surgical office you visit, tooth extractions are usually cheaper than root canals. Root canals typically cost more than $1000 per tooth. Extractions usually cost less than $500 per tooth.
However, keep in mind that the cost for extraction is just the cost of the pulling procedure. The above-estimated cost does not take into account the cost for fillings, false teeth, dental implants, or any other procedures or additions you may need after the fact.
Therefore, tooth extractions sometimes end up costing more than root canal procedures when all is said and done. Be sure to discuss the details with your dentist specifically, as they may have different rates than the above-quoted prices.
It depends on a lot of things. Root canals and tooth extractions can both be effective therapies if you are suffering from severe tooth discomfort and pain because of bacterial infection.
You should ask yourself several key questions when deciding between a root canal or a tooth extraction:
If you can answer several of these questions, you might be able to determine which of the two procedures seems like a better choice.
There are many reasons why your dentist might recommend a root canal treatment ASAP.
If left unchecked, bacterial infections in tooth roots can eventually spread to the rest of the tooth’s tissue, causing additional pain and discomfort. The tooth may eventually discolor entirely and become totally rotten.
Even worse, unchecked tooth decay can spread to the gums or the other teeth in your mouth. This can lead to further and more expensive dental procedures being necessary for you to recover.
In the worst-case scenarios, bacteria in the tissues of your teeth can eventually seep into the bloodstream. This, in turn, can cause severe illness and other medical complications.
Your dentist likely recommends a root canal treatment since it is a safe and effective therapy that can nip all of these potential effects in the bud. Root canal therapy is also usually effective enough for infected teeth that an extraction is not necessary, allowing you to keep the original shape of your smile.
In the end, it’s up to you whether you want to pursue a root canal or a tooth extraction if you have one or more infected teeth. Be sure to discuss your options in-depth with your dentist and see if they have any recommendations.
In the meantime, be sure to keep up with a high-quality dental hygiene routine. Your dentist will likely recommend that you practice better dental hygiene in the future to prevent more root canals or tooth extractions from being necessary.
You’ll need high-quality fluoride toothpaste, an electric toothbrush, and more. No need to check out multiple stores – you can find everything you need at Supersmile. Even better, Supersmile provides effective and unique dental tools, such as a toothbrush with a 45° angle head and toothpaste made with a proprietary whitening and cleaning ingredient called Calprox.
Have questions? We have answers! Check out all our info about top-tier toothpaste, toothbrushes, and more on our blog!
Sources:
https://www.aae.org/patients/root-canal-treatment/what-is-a-root-canal/
https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/pulling-a-tooth-tooth-extraction
https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/qa/what-is-the-cost-of-a-root-canal
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cavities/symptoms-causes/syc-20352892
]]>Enamel is a tough shell that forms the outside of your teeth, covering the crown. It’s the visible part of your teeth and is, even compared to bone, the toughest tissue in the human body.
Yet even though enamel is pretty tough, it's not invincible. Over time, enamel can wear down or degrade through cavities and other dental issues. If your teeth's enamel wears down, your teeth themselves become much more vulnerable.
So the big question is this – is it possible to strengthen tooth enamel? Absolutely. It’s also possible to practice great dental hygiene strategies and maximize your teeth’s overall health.
Let’s take a deep dive into enamel-strengthening tactics and see where you can improve your teeth’s enamel starting today.
Turns out, there are lots of ways to strengthen teeth enamel, and you don’t even have to give up tasty foods or coffee.
Naturally, brushing your teeth is a great place to start. When you brush your teeth, you remove bacteria and lower the likelihood of cavities, which can crop up when Streptococcus mutans bacteria builds up in your mouth.
There’s no way to stop bacteria from reaching your teeth, unfortunately, as they typically piggyback on your food and drinks. So you’ll need to brush your teeth regularly to prevent that bacteria from breaking down tooth enamel over time.
Speaking of brushing your teeth, be sure to use fluoride toothpaste with each brushing session. Fluoride toothpaste can help prevent tooth decay and strengthen your teeth when fluoride ions bind with compounds in your teeth, filling in microscopic gaps.
Even though fluoride toothpaste and regular brushing can prevent enamel decay, you should also cut down on sugar wherever possible. Soda, candy, and even sugary coffee should all be limited.
Not only will this be better for your overall bodily health, but it’ll also make it harder for bacteria to break down enamel. That’s because sugar, a highly acidic compound, is a perfect food for bacteria that sits on the surface of your teeth. Less sugar means less bacterial reproduction and less acid wearing down enamel over time.
Want something to occupy your mouth aside from snacks? Try sugarless gum, which can strengthen your jaw muscles and give you something to chew without adding more sugar to your diet.
Even better, some sugar-free gums can remove sugar and plaque from your teeth, boosting tooth hygiene at the same time.
Lots of well-meaning folks cut down on sugary snacks and sweets, but they might still wear down their enamel over time if they eat too much fruit.
Most popular fruits, like berries and citrus fruits in particular, are highly acidic. In a nutshell, fruit acid can easily bind to the calcium in your teeth and strip it away over time, making your enamel more vulnerable to decay.
To prevent this, don’t eat too much fruit or drink too much fruit juice.
As mentioned, calcium is a very important vitamin for your teeth’s overall health. Your body makes enough calcium in most cases, but you can replace any calcium stripped away by acid and bacteria by taking a multivitamin.
Multivitamins typically include calcium and other vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C, zinc, and more. Even better, a multivitamin can easily be added to your daily routine – just take it with breakfast and maximize your wellness across the board.
Drinking water can be surprisingly effective at helping to strengthen tooth enamel since it sweeps away plaque and bacteria before they have the chance to solidify on the surface of your teeth. Plus, drinking more water will ensure you stay hydrated, which is great for overall bodily health.
Last but not least, try to eat fewer starchy foods, like rice, potatoes, and bread. Starchy foods have tons of simple carbohydrates, which can massively increase how much fermentable sugar sits on your teeth. Given time, that fermentable sugar can erode your teeth’s enamel and increase the likelihood of cavities.
It’s not just dessert foods that can lead to cavity formation!
Just like there are foods you should avoid to prevent enamel decay, you can also prioritize different foods to strengthen your teeth’s enamel. These include:
Alongside certain foods, you should try to prioritize taking certain vitamins if you want to boost tooth enamel as much as possible.
Calcium is one of the most important vitamins to help your teeth. It’s necessary for enamel to form in the first place, but it’s also important for the structural integrity of your teeth overall.
Vitamin D is also important, as it can boost mineral density and help to carry and deposit the calcium mentioned above, bringing it exactly where it needs to go for maximum efficacy.
Potassium is a helpful vitamin for your teeth since it can reduce sensitivity and, when concentrated in the enamel, can boost your teeth’s overall durability.
Phosphorus is key since it can protect tooth enamel, plus help to “rebuild” it to some extent (more on tooth enamel reconstruction below).
As an effective calcium-binding vitamin, vitamin K is important for overall tooth health. It can even help improve tooth density and growth – a key aspect when protecting the enamel of children.
Vitamin C is often prioritized for its effect on the immune system, but it also helps your body to produce collagen: a vital compound in tooth dentin. Your body also needs vitamin C to repair and maintain its teeth.
If you want to maximize tooth and gum health, you’ll want to prioritize vitamin A. Your body can use vitamin A to create keratin, which is an important protein in your teeth’s enamel.
Yes and no.
Enamel is best thought of as a layer of protective material over your teeth’s dentin. Once the layer of enamel is fully worn down, it can never come back or be replaced. That’s why it’s important to take care of your teeth’s enamel as aggressively as possible.
However, weakened spots in the enamel layer can be restored to some extent. This process is called re-mineralization, and it involves introducing calcium and other minerals to your teeth. The minerals can bind to the enamel and fill in the weak spots, effectively rebuilding the protective barrier.
Bottom line: tooth enamel can’t really be replaced, but it can be repaired if you practice good dental hygiene strategies fast enough after noticing the signs of enamel decay.
Just what are those signs? Chances are you’ll notice when your enamel is wearing pretty shortly after it begins. Common symptoms include:
Of course, typical signs of cavities, such as discoloration and toothaches, are also signs of enamel decay. If your teeth’s appearance starts to change or your teeth become suddenly sensitive, you should visit a dentist so they can tell if your enamel needs work.
Overall, it’s important to take care of your teeth’s enamel since it can’t fully be replaced once it’s gone. Fortunately, there are lots of ways you can strengthen the enamel of your teeth while there’s still time:
Practice that routine – and keep the other enamel building tips in mind – and your teeth will be well protected against tooth discoloration, enamel decay, and cavities.
Sources:
https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/fluoride-superhero
https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/78/4/881S/4690063
https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/tooth-enamel-erosion-restoration
https://www.deltadentalins.com/oral_health/vitamins-and-minerals.html
]]>Unfortunately, enamel is so strong that our bodies can’t produce more of it once it’s gone. If bacteria or other hazards wear away the enamel layer of your teeth, it’s gone forever.
However, if you catch enamel damage before it progresses too far, you can remineralize your teeth, which essentially involves boosting the enamel layer and repairing it with minerals like fluoride, calcium, phosphate, and more. Remineralizing your teeth is the best way to ensure their health for years to come.
Fortunately, you don’t need to rely on expensive dentist visits to remineralize your teeth’s enamel over time. In fact, there are lots of effective ways in which you can naturally remineralize your teeth, especially if you stick to these helpful habits for the long term.
For starters, make sure that you regularly brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste. In fact, the American Dental Association recommends that you brush your teeth twice daily, once in the morning and once in the evening. Use a fluoride toothpaste with a quality electric toothbrush and your teeth’s enamel will be more supported than ever.
Fluoride is the perfect mineral for remineralization because it can fill in the gaps in your teeth’s enamel layer that might have been worn down by acid and grinding damage over time. That’s why fluoride is included in most American tap water, as it passively bolsters teeth.
Want to go the extra mile? Try Supersmile’s Professional Whitening Toothpaste. It not only includes fluoride, but also a proprietary whitening and defending compound called Calprox that whitens your teeth without damaging them like other whitening methods do.
Furthermore, you should take steps to immediately reduce how much sugar is in your diet. While almost any food can provide fuel for bacteria in tooth plaque, sugar is particularly good for that bacteria and allows them to produce acid more frequently.
In other words, the more sugar you eat, the more plaque your teeth will have to deal with and the faster your enamel will be stripped away.
If you do reduce the sugar in your diet, you’ll not only reduce enamel damage and, therefore, improve the re-mineralization process. You’ll also enjoy other health benefits across the board. Too much sugar is never a good thing, as it leads to more fat and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
We’re often told that fruits and vegetables are great dietary staples… and they are, to an extent. While fruit is an excellent healthy alternative to sugary candy or sweets, you should also monitor and moderate your fruit intake at the same time.
Fruit naturally has tons of sugar in the form of glucose and many fruits, especially citrus fruits, contain acid that can wear down your teeth’s enamel. Therefore, eating too many fruits can both lead to more plaque formation and reduce your remineralization results at the same time.
Milk is a bit of an edge case when it comes to tooth health. On the one hand, milk contains casein proteins that can form a protective film over your teeth, potentially protecting enamel as well. Milk also has lots of calcium and phosphorus, both of which are great minerals for re-mineralization and can assist fluoride and filling in enamel gaps.
However, on the other hand, milk is also chock-full of a sugar called lactose. This sugar doesn’t break down as quickly as glucose, so bacteria produce less acid. But it still results in a small amount of acid that wears down enamel over time.
So if you drink too much milk or eat too many dairy products, you can end up boosting bacteria instead of remineralizing your teeth. For the best results, only consume dairy products in moderation rather than making them a huge staple of your diet.
Probiotics are helpful bacteria that can boost the health of your gut microbiome. Your gut microbiome is a system of bacteria that assists with digestion and prevents harmful bacteria from settling in your body.
But certain probiotic strains can also lead to increased oral health and help with re-mineralization. Good bacteria can reduce how effective harmful bacteria are at creating plaque and acid, minimizing their potential damage.
Furthermore, probiotics can help to manage gum disease and ensure that more helpful bacteria are present in your mouth. Those helpful bacteria take up space and prevent harmful bacteria from sticking around as well.
Alongside the above tips, you can also add several helpful foods to your diet to assist with the re-mineralization process.
One surprising option is the egg. Eggs are great for your teeth since they contain protein along with vitamins like vitamin D and vitamin K. Both of these are key vitamins for the maintenance of tooth roots and pulp. Eggs also contain phosphorus, which is a good mineral for enamel health.
Many types of seafood, such as fatty fish like salmon, contain omega-3 fatty acids. These important fatty acids can prevent gum disease and inflammation, plus aid your immune system and help to fight off harmful bacteria that form plaque and wear down your teeth's enamel over time.
By the same token, red meat like beef can be a good choice for your gums and teeth. Beef in particular contains vitamins B3 and B12, along with minerals like phosphorus and calcium, both of which are excellent for remineralizing your teeth’s enamel. Just be sure that you floss well after eating beef to ensure that no food particles are left between your teeth!
Some types of breakfast cereals can be great boosters for your teeth. Naturally, you’ll want to avoid high sugar cereals, as this can only exacerbate plaque problems.
Instead, target cereals without a lot of sugar that are fortified with extra calcium. Eating some cereal with a small amount of milk might provide your teeth all the calcium they need to re-mineralize effectively, provided you brush your teeth well afterward.
Green leafy vegetables are great for overall bodily health and for your enamel. Lots of the most nutritious leafy green vegetables have plenty of fiber, which can help to clean your teeth and gums and boost saliva production. All of that can help with the re-mineralization process.
Plus, eating starchy leafy green vegetables causes your saliva to reduce the effects of bacteria and the acid they produce.
Carrots are a helpful choice for mitigating enamel damage for the same reason. They're fibrous and crunchy, which can lead to more plaque and bacteria being scraped away as you eat them. The vitamins included in carrots certainly don't hurt when it comes to tooth and gum health, either.
If you want to boost re-mineralization, you’ll want as much vitamin A as you can get. That’s because your body uses vitamin A to make keratin: a key protein that can help your teeth’s enamel to rebuild. You can find plenty of vitamin A in sweet potatoes, which can be cooked in a variety of ways and which are otherwise quite nutritious.
As you can see, there are lots of ways to protect your teeth’s enamel, ranging from maintaining great dental hygiene to eating the right foods to cutting sugar out of your diet. Here are some other top tips you can follow to make the most of your re-mineralization efforts:
Ultimately, there are lots of ways you can remineralize your teeth naturally. Following the above tips is the best way to make sure you can keep your winning smile for years to come, plus impress your dentist the next time you go in for a cleaning.
Best of all, you can find everything you need for a top-tier oral hygiene routine right at Supersmile. We offer fluoride toothpaste, electric brushes, and more! Check out how we can help your oral care today!
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/remineralizing-teeth
https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/tooth-enamel-erosion-restoration
https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/b/brushing-your-teeth
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/10953-plaque
https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=1&contentid=4062
https://www.livescience.com/44111-foods-healthy-teeth-bad-breath.html
]]>But even though braces can be super helpful for straightening your teeth, they can also be a real headache when it comes to brushing and flossing your teeth every day. The truth is, it’s a little tougher to thoroughly clean your teeth and keep your braces clean no matter how enthusiastic you are.
Good news, though – you can learn how to brush your teeth and floss with braces by using a few special techniques and spending a little extra time on your oral care.
Since braces can make it much easier for food and plaque to form in the nooks and crannies of your teeth, you have to utilize proper brushing technique to prevent cavities and to get a big thumbs-up from your dentist to your next appointment.
As with all brushing sessions, using an electric toothbrush can be a huge help. Electric brushes can do a much better job of clearing away plaque and bacteria compared to manual brushes, and many of them even include two-minute timers so you always clean your teeth for the recommended time! Supersmile’s Zina45 Sonic Pulse toothbrush is a perfect example.
As for actual toothbrushing technique, follow these practices to do the best job possible when brushing your teeth with braces:
As you can see, it might take you a little longer than average to brush your teeth thoroughly with braces since you have to spend extra time cleaning the orthodontics themselves. But it’s well worth the extra effort. You’re already spending a lot of time and money straining your teeth so they look great – you may as well also make sure your teeth avoid cavities at the same time!
What if you’re in a hurry and decide to just brush your teeth with braces like you would normally?
In that case, it’s still better than refusing to brush your teeth at all. But you won’t do as good of a job cleaning and your teeth may be more susceptible to cavities and other dental problems.
You see, you have to remove the elastic bands and other removable parts of your braces for you to do as thorough a cleaning job as possible. If you fail to do this, and you don’t directly brush the wires and pins of your braces, bacteria can remain even after a full two-minute brushing session.
It’s normally recommended that you brush your teeth twice per day, once in the morning and once in the evening. But when you have braces, it’s an even better idea to brush after every major meal or if you eat a snack that includes food that can easily get stuck between your teeth, like candy or peanut butter.
Brushing your teeth more frequently can ensure that bacteria have very little chance of spreading and stripping away your teeth’s enamel layer. At the same time, brushing too often can strip away the enamel layer of your teeth and lead to dental problems.
For the best results, split the difference between two and four times and brush your teeth three times per day if you have braces.
It’s also important to floss if you have braces – in fact, it might be even more important to floss with braces than it is without! Floss can get into the nooks and crannies of your wires and pins.
But lots of people (reasonably) find flossing with braces to be a bit tricky. Follow these helpful steps to get the best results:
Ultimately, learning to floss your teeth will take a little bit of practice, but before long you’ll have it down pat. The important thing is to make peace with the fact that it’ll take a bit longer than if you flossed without braces.
Make sure you always use a solid waxed floss like Supersmile’s Professional Whitening Floss. Not only can this floss capably clean between your teeth, but it’ll whiten them at the same time, all without increasing tooth sensitivity!
It’s a good idea to brush your teeth first with braces before flossing. Brushing your teeth gets rid of the majority of plaque and bacteria and can even clean a little bit between pairs of teeth. You should use your floss after brushing to get any remaining food particles and plaque between your teeth.
Absolutely, and you certainly should! Mouthwash can finish the job started by your toothbrush and floss, cleaning away extra plaque and bacteria and even making it harder for plaque to form in the hours after your brushing session.
Most mouthwash products won’t damage your braces unless they’re made with certain materials. When in doubt, ask your orthodontist if mouthwash is safe, but odds are they’ll give you the go-ahead.
Try to use mouthwash twice per day, once in the morning and once in the evening, for the best results. As a bonus effect, mouthwash will do wonders for your breath!
Sometimes. Many people find that their breath smells noticeably worse after getting braces than it did before.
This is likely because it’s easier for plaque and bacteria to settle and stick around if you have braces than it is if you don't. However, braces by themselves don’t make your breath stink.
If you follow great brushing and flossing techniques, you should be able to get rid of all the extra plaque and bacteria, negating the halitosis effect. Add some excellent mouthwash to the mix and bad breath will be a thing of the past.
Alongside good brushing and flossing technique, there are other tips you can follow to maintain top-tier oral care while you have braces.
All in all, brushing and flossing your teeth with braces takes a little time and effort to get right. But once you have the proper technique down, you’ll do a great job of keeping your teeth and braces clean. By the time your braces come off, your teeth will be so clean that your orthodontist will undoubtedly be impressed!
Want to make sure you have the best tools for oral care while you have braces? Check out Supersmile today for toothpaste, top-tier electric toothbrushes, and more!
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/enamel-erosion
https://www.healthline.com/health/dental-and-oral-health/plaque
]]>But wait! Is a dark spot on your tooth necessarily a cavity? Not at all. It might actually be a tooth stain.
The trouble is that cavities and stains can look pretty close to one another, especially if you don’t have a lot of tooth sensitivity to speak of. How can you tell the difference?
In general, cavities are more of a handful to deal with than tooth stains. They’re painful, annoying, and usually result in a strong lecture from your dentist as they’re applying the necessary filling.
But let’s take a closer look at cavities vs stains and examine the big differences between them.
Though cavities and stains can look similar on the surface, they’re very different.
A cavity is a permanently damaged area on your tooth. You might get cavities when bacteria gradually spread and chew through the enamel of your teeth. Left unchecked, cavities can eventually create holes in your teeth, leading to tooth rot and all kinds of other dental problems.
In contrast, stains are not nearly as dangerous. In fact, they only affect the aesthetics of your teeth. Tooth stains (also called tooth discoloration) occur when your teeth's enamel has been discolored by food or drink. Over time, your teeth’s enamel can become shaded by certain things, such as coffee, tomato sauce, and more.
But where cavities can eventually lead to tooth decay, stains do not necessarily mean that your teeth are unhealthy.
Even with this cut and dry difference, it can be tough to tell whether you have a cavity or a tooth stain, especially if you have multiple darkly colored spots throughout your teeth. Let’s take a closer look at tooth stains and cavities so you’re able to determine whether a dentist appointment is in order!
Remember, tooth stains are characterized by their color alone. Tooth stains don’t typically affect the performance or health of your teeth, nor do they lower the integrity of your teeth and lead to rot.
The primary and only sign of a tooth stain is, naturally, discoloration! But don’t cavities also cause discoloration?
They do, but not in the same way as a tooth stain.
Tooth stains can crop up in a variety of colors – it’s all based on what you eat and drink or what food or beverage has caused the stains in the first place.
For example, tooth stains can be brown or black if you typically drink coffee and don’t brush your teeth shortly after.
But tooth stains can also be:
Plus, tooth stains are more likely to cover an entire tooth or at least more surface area compared to the small spots characteristic of cavities. If you have an entire tooth that’s a yellowish or off-white color, chances are it’s a tooth stain instead of a massive cavity.
Speaking of yellowish teeth, sometimes you get tooth stains with age. As we get older, our teeth lose their uppermost layer of enamel, which wears down over the years of chewing and grinding. This exposes a little yellowish layer of tooth material called dentin. These “stains” aren’t really stains at all and can’t be treated.
Cavities can cause tooth discoloration, to be sure. In fact, if you have a tiny spot on one of your teeth and it’s black, gray, or brown, it may be a good idea to visit a dentist and get it checked out.
However, cavities are also usually accompanied by other noticeable (and painful) signs.
For starters, odds are you’ll experience a toothache if you have a cavity. This isn’t the same thing as sporadic or random sensitivity, which can crop up even in healthy teeth. A cavity-based toothache will likely be incessant or unending, constantly painfulness or aching in your mouth. Ouch!
If you have a toothache in just one tooth, even when eating or drinking hot or cold foods and beverages, chances are it’s a cavity instead of general tooth sensitivity.
However, tooth sensitivity can also be a sign of a cavity. In the earliest stages, a cavity may not trigger a recurring or constant toothache. It might only trigger sensitivity when the cavity-affected tooth is exposed to sugary foods or drinks or hot or cold temperatures.
In contrast, tooth stains should never cause sensitivity or pain under any circumstances. They’re just aesthetic stains on the enamel of your teeth rather than small decaying areas where the enamel has been weakened or destroyed.
Naturally, if you experience pain while eating or drinking, particularly when chewing on hard foods like nuts or chips, you might have a cavity affecting one or more teeth. Pay attention to the temperatures of the foods and beverages you consume – hot and cold food and drinks are more likely to cause tooth sensitivity or pain if you have a cavity.
Pro tip – if you have a visible hole or pit in one of your teeth, do yourself a favor and see a dentist ASAP! Tooth stains should never cause holes in your teeth, but cavities are holes by their nature.
In fact, a hole or pit in your tooth is a sign of an advanced cavity. See a dentist quickly to limit the chances of requiring a root canal or other dental work!
Lastly, cavities can cause staining of your teeth… but not always. Some cavities can be particularly hard to spot until your next dentist appointment because they blend in with the off-white color of your teeth's enamel. Additionally, some cavities may be in spots that are difficult to see in the mirror.
Don’t count on stains to tell you when you’re getting cavities.
No, but the two issues can be related.
It all depends on the colors of the stains in question. If the stains are red or yellowish, they might primarily be because of your diet or brushing habits.
On the other hand, tooth stains that are gray, black, or brown are more likely to be signs of cavities. Decaying enamel will often change into these colors as it is broken down.
Not sure whether you have a cavity or a tooth stain? Your best bet is to consider the other signs of a cavity mentioned above. If you don’t have any of those signs, odds are that the stain in question is just regular discoloration.
Tooth discoloration can be a real buzzkill each time you look in the mirror, especially if some of your favorite foods and drinks are the culprits behind your tooth stains. But we’ve got good news – you can prevent tooth discoloration through a few smart strategies.
Fortunately, you can prevent cavities using many of the same tips for preventing tooth discoloration. But you should also follow some extra strategies to lower the likelihood of cavity formation and get on your dentist’s good side!
All in all, cavities and stains might seem to be similar on the surface. But it’s important to know how to distinguish one from the other and how to tackle both issues as they crop up.
Once you’ve figured out whether you have a cavity or a tooth stain, you can either visit a dentist or start working on whitening the stain yourself!
Luckily, Supersmile has a host of excellent whitening and general dental care products. Check out all the ways we can help you get the smile you’ve dreamed of today!
Sources:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321480
https://www.healthline.com/health/cavity-vs-stain
https://www.healthline.com/health/signs-of-a-cavity
]]>But that’s all thanks to our teeth’s enamel. Without enamel, our teeth would be much more sensitive and vulnerable tools. In fact, it’s fair to say that our teeth would fall out way more quickly if enamel wasn’t there to protect them from bacteria and physical damage.
But what happens when your teeth’s enamel wears down over time? Is it possible for tooth enamel to grow back? Not exactly, although it is possible to repair tooth enamel if you catch decay before it’s gone too far.
Let’s take a closer look at tooth enamel and how the decay process works in detail.
In a nutshell, tooth enamel is a durable and protective shell that covers the dentin or surface material of your teeth. Think of it as armor that protects your teeth from bacteria and from grinding damage.
Without enamel, your teeth would be worn down much more quickly over time, leading to pain and even rotten teeth.
Tooth enamel is so strong that it’s actually the toughest tissue in your body. But despite its durability, tooth enamel is not truly invincible. Given enough time, it can be worn down.
Unfortunately, once your teeth’s enamel armor is whittled away with time or bacterial attacks, it can never be replaced. Therefore, it’s important to maintain healthy teeth as well as you can.
Tooth enamel can be eroded by:
Tooth enamel, once fully removed, can never be truly restored or replaced. Enamel isn’t living tissue, like your skin or other tissue across your body. So your body doesn’t replace it when it wears down.
Furthermore, even advanced dental science hasn’t yet cracked a way to regrow enamel with special toothpastes or other commercial products.
The stakes are clear – keep your enamel healthy at all costs, since once it’s gone, it’s gone!
However, tooth enamel can be repaired to some extent. As the enamel layer of your teeth suffers damage, small holes might form. You can plug those holes with fluoride and other minerals through the re-mineralization process.
In other words, if you haven’t been practicing great dental hygiene so far and are worried about your teeth’s enamel, there’s still time to turn things around!
Not sure whether it’s too late for your teeth’s enamel? You can look for some common signs of tooth enamel decay to see how far things have gone.
A toothache is a sign that your teeth’s roots and nerves are exposed to hot or cold temperatures or too much pressure. Your teeth’s enamel normally protects teeth from hazards like pressure or hot liquids. If you have a consistent toothache, odds are that there are one or more spots where the enamel layer on that tooth could use some work.
Similarly, tooth sensitivity can be a big sign of tooth enamel decay. As the enamel layer wears down, your teeth will become more sensitive to regular chewing and to other stimuli, like sugary foods.
If you experience pain when eating or drinking at all, it might be a sign that your tooth’s enamel is either entirely or almost gone. The more regular your tooth sensitivity or pain is, the likelier it is that the enamel has been worn down and you’ll need to see your dentist.
If things go so far that you see visible holes or pits in your teeth, contact your dentist ASAP. You don’t just have enamel decay to deal with – now you also have one or more cavities.
The process of re-mineralization involves absorbing minerals like fluoride and calcium to fill in the gaps of your teeth’s enamel layer. Fortunately, once some tooth enamel decay has started, it can take some time for the re-mineralization process to really kick in.
Using fluoride toothpaste and taking a vitamin C supplement in conjunction may result in mild benefits or improvements within a few weeks. More importantly, you’ll need to maintain an excellent dental hygiene routine and avoid some of the enamel erosion risks mentioned above for much longer.
If your dentist tells you that your enamel is being worn down, adjust your eating habits and dental routine accordingly for at least several months. Even afterward, you’ll need to maintain a great dental hygiene routine to prevent your enamel from wearing down again.
As mentioned, re-mineralization allows you to rebuild your tooth enamel over time. There are lots of natural ways to do this, fortunately.
The best way by far is to use fluoride toothpaste in conjunction with an electric toothbrush. Electric toothbrushes provide better brushing action and can result in a more thorough brushing job compared to manual brushes.
One great example is the Zina45 Sonic Pulse Toothbrush. It includes a polishing head, 4 unique cleaning modes, and even a two-minute timer built in so you don’t have to count down in your head. It even makes cleaning under the gum line quick and easy!
Fluoride toothpaste is ideal compared to other types since fluoride is a unique mineral that can bind with calcium and other minerals on the surface of your teeth. It naturally strengthens your teeth’s enamel just by exposure.
But you need to use fluoride toothpaste regularly to see this benefit. Brush your teeth twice per day for the best results.
If you need toothpaste that gets the job done, Supersmile’s Professional Whitening Toothpaste tastes great and has tons of fluoride for extra effective re-mineralization.
Avoid eating sugary foods or drinking sugary drinks, as sugar is one of the best fuel sources for the bacteria that collect on the surfaces of your teeth.
By cutting down on sugar, you deprive bacteria of their primary food source and prevent them from creating as much acid as they would otherwise. This, in turn, benefits your teeth’s enamel.
Calcium is a key mineral for your overall tooth health and for the enamel layer. Eating calcium-rich foods like cheese and yogurt, or even taking a calcium supplement, can give your teeth more of this mineral and assist with the process of re-mineralization.
However, you might also consider skipping dairy products and getting your calcium from other sources, like vegetables, as dairy can also provide food for plaque-forming bacteria. If you want to err on the side of caution, skip cheese and yogurt and go with supplements or vegetables instead.
Lastly, you can help your teeth’s enamel layer by taking probiotic supplements. Probiotics bolster your gut bacteria or helpful microorganisms in your body. By boosting the gut microbiome, your body will be healthier overall. More importantly, they decrease the concentration of harmful bacteria in your mouth, reducing the amount of enamel erosion your teeth are exposed to everyday.
Even with the above techniques, it’s still a good idea to see a dentist if your teeth experience incessant or excessive sensitivity, or if you don’t think your enamel remineralization efforts are working.
A dentist can take a closer look at your teeth and see whether one or more cavities are at work. They may also be able to provide you with toothpaste enriched with even more fluoride compared to commercially available options. Such prescription toothpaste can assist with the re-mineralization process even more effectively.
Don’t forget to see a dentist twice per year for regular cleanings. Your biannual cleaning gets rid of plaque and bacteria that might chew away your teeth's enamel layer in places you can’t reach easily with floss or toothbrush bristles.
All in all, tooth enamel can’t grow back if it has already been fully worn down. But damaged enamel can be repaired if you adopt a great dental hygiene routine and make sure to use fluoride-rich toothpaste.
Fortunately, you can find plenty of great enamel-boosting solutions right here at Supersmile. Check out our online store to find toothpaste, high-quality toothbrushes, and even an oral rinse that’s perfect for clearing away enamel-eroding bacteria en masse.
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/rotten-teeth
https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/tooth-enamel-erosion-restoration
https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/features/can-tooth-enamel-grow-back
]]>The truth is that how often and when you brush your teeth can affect so much more than whether your dentist wags their finger at you during your next appointment.
Your tooth brushing habits can affect:
Not sure if your tooth brushing routine is up to snuff? Let’s take a closer look at the optimal time and frequency for toothbrushing so you can make sure that your brushing habits are optimal.
Twice per day, plain and simple.
In fact, the American Dental Association specifically recommends brushing with fluoride toothpaste twice per day in two-minute sessions. But why is this the recommended strategy?
It all boils down to limiting the amount of time your teeth are exposed to food and bacteria. By brushing twice per day, your teeth don’t have food or excessive bacteria in between or on their surfaces for more than a couple of hours at a time. That makes it really difficult for bacteria to grow enough to create cavities.
You see, when you eat food, bacteria on the surface of your teeth can latch onto the food particles and break them down, reproducing over time. Plaque forms as a sticky white film on your teeth, containing additional bacteria. As the bacteria eat the food particles on your teeth, they produce a waste acid that can break down tooth enamel.
Limit the bacteria on your teeth, and you limit the acid. Limit the acid, and you protect the enamel of your teeth.
While you can brush your teeth three times per day (once after every major meal), this isn’t strictly necessary. It takes bacteria a good chunk of time to do any real damage to your teeth. The few hours between lunch and when you brush your teeth in the evening isn’t normally enough to cause problems.
That said, stick to the two-minute rule when you do brush. Brushing for two minutes ensures that you scrub away all the bacteria and plaque that might have built up since your last brushing session.
Many of the best electric toothbrushes have automatic two-minute timers, so you don't even have to count in your head.
For example, Supersmile’s Zina 45 Sonic Pulse Toothbrush – the Tesla of toothbrushes – includes a two minute timer and a patented 45° brush head that works with four unique cleaning modes. This ergonomic and effective toothbrush can help you brush your teeth like never before.
That depends on your schedule, although most people find it convenient to brush their teeth after breakfast and after dinner.
There are good reasons for both of these times. Brushing your teeth after breakfast means you don’t mess with the flavor of the meal. Trust us, you don’t want to drink a glass of breakfast orange juice immediately after scrubbing fluoride toothpaste over your teeth.
But brushing your teeth after breakfast also means you get rid of food and bacteria from the night before (odds are your mouth was open for plenty of that time). Your teeth will be squeaky clean all the way until lunch. Add to that the fact that it's just convenient for lots of people to brush their teeth in the morning when they're already doing their bathroom routines before work or school, and you can see why this setup is so popular.
Brushing your teeth after dinner in the evening is similarly convenient -- your meal without the taste of toothpaste in your mouth, and maybe even a little dessert after the main course. Then you can brush your teeth shortly afterward, getting rid of sugar from that dessert, along with any other remaining food particles, to deprive bacteria of food they need to survive.
When you go to sleep, it’s with totally clean teeth and fresh breath. That way, bacteria don’t have 8+ hours to break down your teeth’s enamel.
But what if this schedule doesn’t work for you? If that’s the case, try to find two times in the day where you can brush your teeth and give your teeth several hours in between meals. No matter what, it’s strongly recommended that one of your times be before bed. This limits the tooth decay you might get as you sleep.
Even though many dentists would likely applaud your dedication, you actually shouldn’t brush your teeth four times per day. In fact, brushing your teeth more than three times per day (once after every major meal) can harm your teeth rather than make them healthier.
While enamel is pretty tough by itself, it’s not invincible. Given enough time, enamel can wear down. The bad news is that enamel can’t be replaced – once it’s gone, it’s gone.
Basically, by brushing your teeth four or more times a day, you accidentally end up doing bacteria’s job and wear down your enamel with over brushing.
Furthermore, brushing too frequently can lead to gum irritation. You should brush along the edges of your gums whenever you use a toothbrush, but brushing too frequently can lead to gum disease or just plain sensitivity.
Bottom line: while some extra brushing seshes once in a while won’t do any harm, don’t go overboard with your brushing on the regular or you’ll ironically make your teeth more susceptible to cavities and other dental problems.
Technically, yes. It takes about 24 hours for plaque and bacteria to build up enough for tooth decay to kick in. So if you brush your teeth at least once per day, and if you do so with proper technique, you can theoretically disrupt bacteria and clear away enough plaque to prevent tooth decay and other dental issues.
However, most dentists still recommend that you should brush your teeth twice per day at a minimum. It's simply a matter of minimizing the likelihood of cavities.
If you brush once per day, that brushing session has to be perfect and you have to guarantee that you clear away all the bacteria and plaque forming on your teeth’s surface. Brushing twice per day gives you a little more wiggle room – if you miss a spot in between two of your back molars, for instance, the second brushing session might clear that plaque away.
Given that brushing your teeth only takes two minutes maximum, there’s no reason to really limit your toothbrushing to once per day unless you’re on a very tight schedule.
Every time you go to the dentist’s office, they repeat the same mantra: brush your teeth, brush your teeth, brush your teeth, (and floss)! But why is it such a big deal?
Ultimately, it’s because brushing your teeth is the most helpful habit you can maintain for your dental health.
For starters, brushing your teeth directly prevents cavities by scraping away bacteria and plaque. Getting rid of bacteria and plaque makes cavity formation impossible.
Even if you don’t get rid of all the bacteria in your mouth (which is almost impossible, as well), brushing your teeth gets rid of the sugar or other food particles that the bacteria can use to reproduce. No bacteria reproduction means no acid wearing down your teeth’s enamel over time.
Brushing your teeth isn’t just good for your teeth themselves. It can also prevent gum disease.
Gum disease can occur if bacteria infect the tissue of your gums. In a lot of cases, the bacteria responsible for gum disease start on the surfaces of your teeth.
Again, getting rid of all these bacteria can go a long way toward minimizing the likelihood of future dental problems. Gum disease is super uncomfortable, leading to irritation and inflammation, and can even lead to other tooth problems, like root infections.
Let’s face it – nothing kills the mood or ruins a conversation quicker than bad breath. Do yourself and anyone you talk to a favor and brush your teeth so you have fresh breath.
When you brush your teeth, you get rid of bacteria that would normally cause a smelly odor as a byproduct of their reproduction. The technical term for bad breath is halitosis. By brushing your teeth, flossing, and using a mouthwash product regularly, you’ll kill enough bacteria that bad breath becomes a thing of the past.
Of course, brushing your teeth isn’t the end of dental hygiene; it’s just the start! There are lots of other ways you can take care of your oral health, including:
All in all, follow the twice per day and two-minute rule and your brushing techniques should produce fabulous results.
Want to find a great electric toothbrush or toothpaste to revitalize your oral care routine? Check out Supersmile today!
Sources:
https://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Publications/Files/ADA_PatientSmart_Brushing.pdf?la=en
https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/tooth-enamel-erosion-restoration
https://www.deltadentalins.com/oral_health/overbrushing.html
]]>While it can have some tempting whitening abilities for your teeth, at Supersmile, we believe there are some things you need to think about before you completely toss out your trusty toothpaste.
So, let us share a little secret with you. Overall, we should tell you that brushing with baking soda alone is going to do far more damage to your teeth than it is ever going to do good. As a primary whitening ingredient in toothpaste, it is only going to do so much until it really doesn’t help whiten your teeth anymore. That’s the bad news.
But the good news is that baking soda does provide some distinct benefits, but it’s usually better to be on the lookout for it within a bigger whitening system that does more than just tackle surface stains on your teeth.
So, let’s explore some possibilities for your glowing smile!
In addition to enamel erosion (no thanks), there are some other side effects that you need to worry about if you’re considering flying solo with baking soda. But we really must stress that enamel erosion because right now, there are currently no ways to really replace that enamel. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.
Think about beavers: their teeth have that orange and yellow shade because they have worn all of the enamel off of their teeth and developed a super protective enamel layer. While it’s cute for those little furry rascals, it isn’t a good look on a human.
Another problem is that baking soda doesn’t contain fluoride, which is what strengthens your teeth and helps to prevent cavities. Without that protection, you may be more susceptible to damage.
If you’ve had any braces or orthodontia in your mouth, using baking soda on its own and not part of a toothpaste will actually break down the glues used to keep everything in place, so you absolutely should avoid using it.
When you go to visit your dentist, it is likely that they will be able to tell that you have been using baking soda and will advise you to stop. If the dentist can see it, then you know there’s actual damage to your pearly whites, which is never the end goal.
So, let’s skip to the dos instead of the don’ts. There are some distinct advantages to using baking soda as part of your toothpaste -- but in general, they aren’t advantages that you won’t get from other toothpaste ingredients, too.
The first benefit is that plaque and gingivitis can be mitigated by baking soda.
On your teeth, there are bacteria that attach to the surface, and they will eventually cause problems like cavities, eating away at your gums, or gingivitis and gum disease. When you brush with baking soda, the grains tear up that film that forms on our teeth, reducing the bacteria levels.
Baking soda also helps to eliminate the acidic conditions inside your mouth.
There are certain bacteria that thrive in those conditions, so they die off when you brush with baking soda. There are other ingredients that do this as well, but it is a reason why some toothpastes use baking soda as an ingredient.
As mentioned, baking soda does also have some natural whitening properties that help remove surface stains from your teeth.
If the stains on your teeth aren’t deeply ingrained, it may help to keep them stain free. If they are deeply ingrained, however, it won’t do a thing (nada!).
Now, if you’re worried about introducing too much fluoride in your body, baking soda is one of the few fluoride-free options to clean your teeth. While fluoride toxicity and overdose are extremely rare, some medical conditions make the threshold lower.
Finally, the last reason some people use baking soda as toothpaste is simply because it’s readily available and quite cheap, though picking the 99c option off the shelf probably isn’t the best route to happy teeth -- sorry.
Toothpaste is used as part of a mouth-healthy routine to clean the bacteria from your teeth and prevent staining. There are many ingredients in toothpaste, including baking soda.
However, it isn’t necessarily a good idea to use only baking soda as your toothpaste because it doesn’t have enough cleaning capabilities on its own. You want the whole package. Now, when it is combined with other ingredients, it works well.
Why? This is simply because as an ingredient, there is so little actual baking soda in your toothpaste that it doesn't cause problems. Most toothpastes formulated with other ingredients prevent baking soda from being harmful to your delicate pearls.
Let’s be honest, baking soda is pretty abrasive, which is why it does work as a good cleaner. It works well to remove plaque and other stains. However, it’s often too abrasive to be safe for solo use in your mouth. It can tear away at your enamel and eventually wear down your gums as well if you’re pouring that baking soda out of that little box all over your toothbrush.
Some people even reported having a gritty texture or a burning in their mouths after they brushed with baking soda.
Overall, baking soda has been approved by the American Dental Association for use in a toothpaste, but there hasn’t been a toothpaste that is solely baking soda that has ever been approved.
It’s a catch-22 here because while baking soda is effective at whitening teeth, it isn’t a good option for most people. There are plenty of other options on the market that are more effective at whitening and have results that are longer-lasting.
As we mentioned, baking soda is abrasive, so it removes the surface stains from your teeth (think wine, coffee, tea, etc.) by essentially sanding them away. Consistently using baking soda will remove stains, but it will harm your pearly whites in the process.
When most people look for a whitening solution for their teeth, they are looking to whiten their teeth a few shades. This doesn’t happen with baking soda. Baking soda will just remove the stains that are on your teeth, making them look somewhat white, but it doesn’t impact the deeper parts of your teeth that can have stains that make your teeth appear dull and blah.
Of course, as we’ve touched the tip of the iceberg already, there are some major disadvantages to using baking soda alone to brush your teeth.
The first is that the taste and texture are simply unappealing to so many people.
It tastes bland and gritty and can even leave a weird aftertaste that you simply won’t be able to get rid of with gums or mints. Some people think the taste is bitter while others call it salty -- either way, it’s no Icy Mint.
Additionally, the texture feels somewhat like you are brushing your glowing pearls with sand, which most people don’t prefer, and it is also extremely difficult to rinse all of the baking soda out of your mouth when you’re done, so you may deal with that lingering texture and crunchiness all day long.
Many people claim that baking soda whitens quite a bit, but it actually doesn’t have an impact on your teeth.
It can be used to spot treat stains and other issues, but as we said before, it really only removes those surface stains. Most of us have stains that are simply too deep for baking soda to really positively impact.
Additionally, it can wear down your irreplaceable enamel, making your teeth look duller -- and that is a problem that is much, much harder to fix.
Finally, since baking soda lacks fluoride, you aren’t getting a good enough clean to prevent dental cavities. Even though you get fluoride from your water, tooth decay is extremely difficult to avoid without it. This is especially true if you eat a lot of hard, crunchy foods.
The health and safety of your glistening pearls matters most. Although baking soda may be an inexpensive option, it is something that you probably shouldn’t blend into your own concoction for your teeth.
Your teeth are a particularly important aspect of your overall health, and luckily, there are many, many other more beneficial options. When you start mixing up your own toothpastes with essential oils or juices, you are really running the risk of doing more damage to your teeth than good.
But, we’re happy to report that if you’re looking for a toothpaste that has whitening properties and also cleans your teeth to levels of sparkling freshness, there are plenty of other options out there (and right here at Supersmile!) for you to consider that don’t come with the baggage of potentially harming that gorgeous smile.
So, opt for baking soda as an ingredient in your toothpaste but not the whole shebang, and your teeth will be sure to thank you!
Sources:
https://jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177(17)30812-7/abstract
https://www.jeffersondentalclinics.com/blog/brushing-with-baking-soda
]]>Thankfully, we live in a world today that isn’t quite so intense, and we’ve been able to develop many different ways to keep our teeth white. The easiest way to do this is by adopting a daily practice of brushing with whitening toothpaste.
But with so many of us searching for the perfect glistening set of pearls, companies are trying to take advantage of us and are looking for ways to sell us products that are overhyped without the ingredients to back up that hype.
Thankfully, there are a few different ingredients that you absolutely want in your toothpaste that are easy to spot with a little practice -- these are the ones that are proven to actually have a whitening impact on your teeth without doing any damage.
So, let’s take a sneak peek at these must-haves in the best whitening toothpaste!
Let’s start with a real goodie! Calprox® is an ingredient that you are only going to find here at Supersmile. It is a proprietary ingredient invented by Dr. Irwin Smigel, the Father of Aesthetic Dentistry, and the Supersmile team, that gently whitens and cleans teeth without causing sensitivity like some of the other bleaches and abrasives.
This is an extremely powerful whitener that is trusted by many because it removes stains and changes the color of your teeth without increasing sensitivity. If you want that bright, glowing smile, Calprox® is where it’s at!
Fluoride is a mineral that you’ve probably heard about before -- a lot of cities in the U.S. even have it in their water.
Fluoride helps to prevent tooth decay by making the enamel of your teeth harder and more resistant to wear from the acidic foods we eat and what we drink.
If you want to check if your toothpaste has fluoride, it may be as easy as simply looking for the word, or it could be written as sodium fluoride, sodium monofluorophosphate or stannous fluoride. These are the best forms of fluoride to enlist to help keep your teeth strong and sparkly white.
Remember that when your enamel wears down, your teeth will look duller and be harder to bring back to life. Even so, you don’t want to have too much fluoride, either: look for around 0.15% fluoride ion, or 1500 parts per million.
Another thing you want to do is check if your ingredients are clean and allergen-free.
Sometimes, companies will try to sneak some pretty nasty stuff into toothpaste as fillers or preservatives, so you want to ensure that all of the ingredients in your chosen toothpaste are as clean as possible.
Make sure to pay attention to how your mouth feels, and if you notice anything strange, switch to a different toothpaste with cleaner ingredients. All-natural toothpastes aren’t as likely to cause as many problems for your pearly whites as those with a bunch of fillers in them.
It is true that some abrasives can actually help your teeth, but only if they are mild, according to the Journal of the American Dental Association.
These ingredients help to whiten not by bleaching or changing the color of your teeth, but by abrading the enamel and getting rid of surface stains.
Most people don’t want to use any abrasives at all on their teeth, but if you do, you should only use them about once a week or so. Talk to your dentist before you use anything that is too abrasive.
We’ve all heard of this one. One of the most common ingredients that you will see in whitening toothpaste is hydrogen peroxide. It is also the main ingredient in popular “at home” whitening recipes. That’s because hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent that can have a photo-worthy impact on your teeth.
However, you should note that peroxide doesn’t actually remove stains, it simply changes the color of your teeth. You may still notice some staining, though after some time it will have an impact.
Whitening toothpaste has a lot less hydrogen peroxide than you might expect, which is why at home recipes can be so dangerous. Another big reason not to use those recipes is because they just don’t taste all that great.
Another common ingredient in whitening toothpaste is glycerol, but this doesn’t actually help with whitening at all. Instead, it keeps your toothpaste from drying out and gives it a more consistent texture, which can help with the whitening toothpastes that aren’t all that tasty.
Glycerol is also what gives you that smooth application. It’s completely safe for you, as you can even find it in yogurt, peanut butter, and other smooth foods. On your toothpaste, it may go by the names glycerol, glycerin, or glycerine.
Another key ingredient to be on the lookout for is sodium lauryl sulfate. This is what makes your toothpaste foam in your mouth and gives you that oh-so-clean feeling.
But you don’t have to actively look for this ingredient because it isn’t a good one -- sodium lauryl sulfate, also called SLS, in high quantities can actually cause damage in your mouth. You may get sores or irritation that can hurt quite a bit. So less is more here.
This isn’t to be confused with Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, however, which is the cleaner, all-natural cousin that can give you that foamy cleanliness without the junk. Yes, please!
Carbamide peroxide is similar to hydrogen peroxide in that it is a bleaching agent, but the similarities end there. This actually breaks down the components on your teeth that cause staining instead of simply bleaching your entire tooth.
It has become an extremely popular bleaching agent that you can find on other whitening products, including pens, gels, trays, and strips.
Now, we’ll be honest, there are also a few ingredients you’ll want to avoid in your whitening toothpaste. These are ingredients that are incredibly abrasive and can cause some lasting damage to your teeth, like charcoal or even microplastics. It’s best to avoid them at all costs.
You also want to avoid things that will dry out your mouth like alcohol or silicas, as those ingredients can cause problems that will lead to duller, not-so-glowing teeth.
You also want to avoid anything that has too many preservatives or ingredients that you don’t understand. Check for any sugars or anything that could actually impact the health of your teeth beyond the whitening powers.
DIY recipes are in – we get it. So, obviously, a lot of people have questions about homemade, natural whitening toothpaste.
Unfortunately, these products are usually far too gritty and cause way too many problems with your oral wellness in general. They typically don’t do enough to really get your teeth clean, and though some will whiten, they don’t actually clean up the bacteria that causes decay.
You see a lot of “natural” products that can help you to get white teeth like baking soda or coconut oil, but they can really do some damage if they are all that you use. Some people will even use acidic products like apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, but those are eating away at your enamel and can cause sensitivity and other issues if you aren’t careful.
You should also know that homemade products tend to take a longer time to work because they aren’t as strong and don’t contain the proper ingredients to really get the job done.
Trust us -- you’ll want to skip the YouTube tutorial for this one and go with time-tested, science-backed teeth whitening instead.
Sure, we all want to have beautifully glowing pearls that are white enough to see from space, but that isn’t always going to be the reality for most of us. The best thing you can do for your teeth is schedule regular dental checkups, eat foods that don’t stain your teeth, and start with a whitening toothpaste before you notice that your teeth aren’t quite white.
If you’re already noticing that your teeth are yellow or have stains on them and you want a little whitening boost, it may be time to bring out the extra strength products, but only those that contain clean, all-natural ingredients that you can trust, like all of our proven formulas right here at Supersmile.
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6369603/
]]>Here at Supersmile, we were founded by Dr. Irwin Smigel, the Father of Aesthetic Dentistry, so trust us, we know about teeth!
And now, we want to share that knowledge with you so you can keep your mouth feeling fresh and clean so you can be confident in your glowing smile, and get back to turning that camera back on for your Zoom meetings.
When it comes to your teeth, we know that you want the best, and so do we! There's nothing that brings us more joy than bringing bright, healthy smiles into the world. One of the best places to start is with a discussion of calculus. But don't worry; we're not talking about math.
Dental calculus is the scientific term for tartar. Prepare yourself because this explanation is about to get a little icky.
Basically, the bacteria that live in your mouth get into the stuff you eat and drink. That combination then sticks to your teeth, your gums, and any kind of dental appliances in your mouth.
Because that plaque has bacteria in it, it can cause some real problems, way worse than yellow teeth or bad breath. Removing that plaque regularly is the best way to take care of your mouth and keep you smiling.
However, taking a day off from flossing and brushing lets that plaque harden into tartar or calculus. Generally, that tartar builds up around the gum line because it's harder to scrub down in there. After a while, the bacteria infect your gums and can lead to diseases like gingivitis. Luckily, this is the mildest form of gum disease and can be reversed from the comfort of your home by increasing your brushing and flossing routine or using other deep cleaning dental products.
Typically, the best way to get rid of calculus is to go to a dentist for a deep clean. They have special tools that can scrape your teeth and your gums' inner lining to get everything out.
Once they have finished with the scraping, they polish your teeth for a good, clean feel. That scrape may be good for your mouth's hygiene, but some people dislike the feeling and find that it can be painful. Well, we all know the saying no pain, no gain, and when it comes to your teeth, a little pain now is definitely worth not having gum disease later.
However, it doesn't all have to be painful. You can still do other relatively easy things to stop the calculus from building up in the first place by getting rid of plaque and removing some of the tartar your teeth have already collected.
During the pandemic, everyone has been putting off their dentist appointments. You are not alone! The government has been recommending that people stay home whenever possible, and getting your teeth cleaned just doesn’t seem to count as an emergency. Not to mention, having someone poking around in your mouth just feels dangerous when there is a dangerous disease on the loose and we’re all masked up everywhere else we go.
Plus, most people don't necessarily enjoy going to the dentist even under the best circumstances, so it's no wonder so many people decided not to go at all during 2020. Having said that, sometimes you really need that professional touch to stop your mouth from having its own health problems.
As mentioned above, gingivitis can become a real issue if you let the calculus stay on your teeth long enough. But gingivitis is still something you can conquer from home.
More serious forms of gum disease, like periodontitis, when you develop pockets in your gums, and the bacteria in them start to rot your teeth will require the dentist's intervention.
It's easy to put off dental appointments because of work or global pandemics, but we are talking about your mouth's health here. That should always be your number one priority. Your mouth deserves the best you can give it!
When it comes to removing calculus that is already on your teeth, one of the best ways is to use toothpaste with baking soda. Baking soda helps soften dental plaque, making it easier to clean away when you brush and floss. Plus, it is also slightly abrasive, so it gives you an extra edge when you scrub those pearly whites.
Supersmile's Extra Whitening Pre-Rinse contains baking soda to make it easier for you to brush that calculus away.
Use it before brushing your teeth in order to give the baking soda a chance to do its job. The pre-rinse not only softens the calculus but also helps you prevent gingivitis and makes your smile glow and sparkle. So, before you whip out that toothbrush, remember to swish, swish, baby!
Speaking of brushing, one of the best ways to make sure you are getting all of that plaque and tartar is to use the right toothbrush.
Electric toothbrushes are often able to reach places you can't clean as well when you brush manually. Plus, electric brushes also allow you to change out the head after a while, which is important to do so that your toothbrush is as squeaky clean as your teeth.
Our Zina45 Deluxe Sonic Pulse Toothbrush is a particularly good candidate for the job.
It has an automatic timer on it, so the brush will alert you when you have hit the recommended two-minute time allotment. Plus, with four separate cleaning modes, you never have to worry that you missed a spot. All of those and more features make this toothbrush a serious investment in a sparkling smile.
Another aspect of brushing is how long you brush for. Most people just get in and out without thinking (since they're still half-asleep probably!), but it’s important to try to spend two minutes brushing. You can play a song on your phone if you don't want to worry about timing yourself, but a two-minute brush is exactly what you need to get everywhere in your mouth.
You should also try to brush at least twice a day, so you never spend more than a few hours with residual food bits on your teeth.
Many people make it part of their morning and nightly routines. When something becomes a habit, you won't have to keep writing yourself Post-It notes and leaving them all over the bathroom -- it only takes an average of 66 days so get to it ASAP!
Don't let the title fool you: the conundrum isn't whether or not you need to floss. News flash! You definitely do.
People always leave the dentist office promising that they will floss, and most of them do… for a few days. Unfortunately, even though we get into the habit of brushing our teeth as kids, parents are much less likely to demand that their children also floss.
There's no real reason why kids shouldn't floss, and luckily, it isn't exceedingly difficult. But the main reason most kids don’t learn to floss is because their parents don't floss regularly, or they forget about it. Hey, we don't blame you! There's a lot going on, and raising kids is no joke. But we want to protect all of your smiles for years to come.
That being said, everyone should be flossing from a young age.
The good news is that if you’ve never flossed your teeth before, it’s never too late to start.
If you’re a first timer, it will probably be a little uncomfortable, and you may end up bleeding a little bit, but that simply (usually) means the flossing is working. If you find that your gums bleed when you floss, that is usually a sign of mild to moderate gum disease. Don't worry! After you make a habit of flossing a few times daily, the bleeding should eventually lessen and stop altogether as your gums toughen up and don't have as much plaque and bacteria irritating them.
Although dental calculus is a pain and can lead to some unpleasant side effects, your dentist can help you get rid of it regularly and leave you with a fresh, clean slate and a beautiful smile.
Your smile should be as bright as you are, so make sure to keep on brushing and flossing! In fact, now that you're thinking about it, why not give yourself a good flossing? Your teeth will definitely thank you for thinking of them!
Sources:
https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/tartar-dental-calculus-overview#1
https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-remove-plaque#best-ways-to-remove-plaque
]]>If it’s never occurred to you before, we'll be the ones to say it: breath matters.
Even if you don't plan on kissing anyone (and you never know!), most people sit close enough that bad breath could put a real damper on the situation. A close friend or family member may tell you to pop in a breath mint, but most people will just try to deal with it or subtly move a seat space away.
Let’s just be honest -- you don't want to be the person with bad breath. That's why we're here with some quick self-tests that will help you gauge whether or not you need a quick mint before you give that presentation or shake hands with someone for the first time.
Okay, so we know that the standard “breathe into your hand and sniff” method isn't going to cut it. But what are you supposed to do instead? It can be hard to check your breath when you're out and about furtively.
Not to worry. We have you (and your breath) covered! The following are some common breath tests that can give you a more definitive answer than just breathing into your hand.
Although not new to many people who have spent time living in parts of Asia, the coronavirus introduced most Americans to the concept of wearing facemasks regularly during the pandemic.
You may be wondering whether the mask is a better way to tell if you are suffering from halitosis than breathing into your hand, and it is, marginally.
While some people still can't smell anything after breathing into a mask for hours on end, others have distinctly noticed that it's different smelling a cloth mask than your hands after you have breathed on them.
If you are worried about having mask breath, give our Mask-Mouth Kit a try so you won't have to worry when it's time to take the mask off at the end of the day.
This will sound strange, but licking your wrist is a good way to tell if you need to brush your teeth.
Your tongue is actually responsible for 85% of your breath's smell, not your teeth.
Your tongue has layers of bacteria and food particles building upon it during the day, so it's no wonder it can get smelly. Plus, you know how people spritz perfume on their wrists when they want to smell it? Your wrists don't come into contact with other things nearly as much as your hands, so when you smell your wrist, you can be sure that what you're smelling is your breath, not something you touched.
Lick your wrist and then give it a few seconds to dry before smelling it.
You might be surprised by how different your breath smells from a lick to breathing into a mask or your cupped hands. Just be mindful of where your wrist has been, especially if you haven’t had a chance to wash up in a while.
If you are anxious about your tongue, the cause for most people's bad breath, you can use a metal spoon to gently scrape over your tongue.
You don't have to reach extremely far back, and we don't recommend this technique if you have an especially sensitive gag reflex, but sniffing that spoon afterward can give you an idea of what your breath smells like.
Keep in mind that the spoon will smell stronger than your breath does because you're sniffing concentrated bacteria, saliva, and food particles. In fact, your breath might not actually smell bad at all, even if the spoon is a little weird smelling.
And a word of advice, make sure to wash that spoon thoroughly after the test!
The most reliable way to know if your breath smells bad is to ask someone else. It isn't a self-test, but it is something to try as a last resort if you need a second opinion.
Unfortunately, many people don't have someone willing to stand there while you breathe in their direction and give you a pass or fail on the sniff test.
If you have someone who loves you enough to help you out, that's pretty cool, and you should listen to them. Also, thank them afterward, especially if your breath turns out to be less than fresh.
Halitosis, the scientific name for bad breath, should be pretty easy to detect, right? Well, not necessarily. See, our noses are good at recognizing new or powerful smells, but after you get used to smelling something all the time, you may not notice it very much at all.
Whether or not anyone has ever called you a mouth-breather, you have definitely breathed through your mouth often enough for your nose to get used to your own breath's smell.
Even if you breathe into your cupped hand and sniff it, you might not be able to smell anything.
Your breath may be minty fresh and delightful, but if you’ve touched anything strange or have a small piece of food stuck under one of your fingernails, you may think that it's your breath that smells when you're actually smelling your hand.
More often, though, people who have less than pleasant breath can't tell because they can't smell anything weird. That's why it's important to have other types of breath tests for when you're on the go.
The best way to get better breath is to brush your teeth (and tongue) at least twice a day for two-minute stints.
However, some days, you may not feel like that is enough.
Some people who have dry mouths find that their breath is still susceptible to smelling bad, even when they have been conscientious about their dental hygiene. That may be because your toothbrush head needs to be replaced. Even if you rinse it thoroughly, it is still being used to remove food, bacteria, and plaque, so it gets dirty and should be replaced around every six months. Flossing is easier because you usually throw away the floss after use, but if your toothbrush has a flosser, you will need to change that out too.
You should also consider your diet. We're not here to tell you what you should and shouldn't eat because, let's face it, food is just an adventure we cannot say no to!
But it's worth knowing that food like garlic and onions do tend to cause pretty noxious breath. Heavily spiced food can do the same thing.
So, for the sake of others, maybe forgo the extra onions on your burger if you're about to go into an important meeting at work or have a hot date later.
Another great tip is to try drinking more water.
Being hydrated is great for many reasons, but the more water you move through your mouth, the more diluted the food particles and bacteria become. Often, mild bad breath can be caused by dehydration, so drinking more may be the perfect solution.
As we’ve mentioned, one of the biggest causes of bad breath is the build-up of plaque and other bacteria on the back of your tongue. Most people give their tongue a few swipes when they're brushing their teeth, but if you are suffering from bad breath, you might want to invest in a tongue scraper.
Our Ripple Edge Tongue Cleaner gently and thoroughly swipes away the bacteria and food particles, so you won't have to worry about running something rough over your sensitive tongue because this tongue cleaner was designed for comfort.
We weren't kidding about the breath mint, but plenty of dentists recommend chewing special gum as a way to keep your breath smelling minty fresh.
Additionally, if you're going somewhere really special or you want to stay professional and not be snapping your gum intermittently, you can try our Single-Dose Powdered Mouth Rinse. A single packet mixed with water is easy to make on the go, and it whitens your pearls while it brightens your smile. Simply swish it around and spit it out, and you'll be good to go in seconds. These are even great on the plane if you're going straight to a place from the airport because the packets are TSA-approved.
Bad breath doesn't have to be the bane of your existence. With these easy, convenient self-tests, you can check to see if your breath needs a little freshening or if you’re minty fresh just the way you are.
If you could use a touch-up, pop in a mint, chew some gum, or gargle some mouthwash, and you’ll be smelling (and feeling) fresh in no time at all!
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20171004-the-biggest-myths-about-bad-breath
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bad-breath/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350925
]]>If you want to make your smile more beautiful, but you aren’t looking to have your teeth capped and replaced, you may want to opt for cosmetic dental bleaching. Teeth bleaching or whitening is a somewhat affordable procedure that can remove years of stains and brighten your smile almost instantly. It is a quick, mostly painless procedure that can really change your smile and boost your self-esteem.
However, teeth whitening isn’t a cheap endeavor, so before investing in your smile, many people want to know how long it lasts. Obviously, that sparkly white shine can’t last forever because we all eat and drink things that will add stains back to our teeth over time.
Whitening your teeth is kind of like coloring your hair -- it will stick around for a while, but eventually it will fade, and you may need a touch-up. Thankfully, teeth whitening tends to last longer than most dye jobs do.
You should keep in mind that teeth whitening will depend on the type of bleaching agent that your dentist uses.
While almost all bleaches work really well, it depends on the concentration of hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide, as well as the methods used for whitening.
In general, the average teeth whitening results will last anywhere from six months to four years. Of course, it also depends on how well you take care of your teeth.
Your lifestyle will also have a huge impact on how long your teeth whitening results will last. What you eat, drink, and how you take care of your teeth will really matter if you want to have long lasting results.
So, let’s explore how you can whiten those pearls, and keep them looking bright and shiny for as long as possible!
As mentioned, how long tooth whitening lasts really depends on a lot of varying factors, which is frustrating -- we know.
The effects can last as little as six months or as long as four years. It really just depends on the person, the method, and their lifestyle.
If you want your teeth whitening to really last, you should avoid smoking, frequently drinking staining liquids like wine or tea, and frequently eating staining foods like berries. We know that may be difficult, but we’re just shooting it to you straight.
Brushing your teeth regularly and avoiding those staining foods as much as possible can keep staining at a minimum.
However, life is life, and you have to live it! At Supersmile, we understand everything cannot be completely avoided, which is why we use science-backed ingredients to help you enjoy life with the glowing smile you deserve -- late night wine, morning espresso, and blueberry muffins included.
Ready for the good news? We have some additional tips and tricks to make your teeth whitening last longer.
Most dentists will ensure that your teeth are completely clean before a whitening appointment, but you want to spend the few weeks before the procedure taking care of your teeth as well. You want to get your teeth as far as you can on your own so that your dentist can get the best possible clean.
After the appointment, you also want to keep up your good dental hygiene practices. These good habits include brushing your teeth twice a day with a good whitening toothpaste, flossing your teeth every day with a whitening floss, and using mouthwash.
If you have habits like chewing tobacco or smoking, you want to quit those too, if you can. Your whole body will thank you!
Before thinking about how long teeth whitening keeps, you need to understand how it is done, as there are some important steps that you need to take.
When your teeth are whitened, the whitening agent is applied to the surface of your teeth, and then it is left to sit for a specified period of time.
The enamel and dentin layers of your teeth absorb the whitener. Once it gets inside these two layers, the whitener then starts a chemical reaction that dissolves all the stains.
It is important to note that even after the agent has been rinsed from your teeth, it is still working deep within the layers. This will go on for about 24 hours after your procedure, so be sure to follow all of the rules and best practices during this time for the best results.
The first day or so after your whitening appointment is when you need to worry about what you eat the most.
If you regularly eat foods like beets, tomato sauces, berries, or even chocolates, try to limit them as much as possible. You also want to limit red wine, coffee, tea, and other drinks that might stain your teeth. This includes artificial coloring in your foods and anything that has too much sugar.
A good way to think of it is to imagine if you were to get a certain food on your shirt, would you surely be able to get the stain out? If not, then you want to avoid it for at least the first few days after your procedure.
Another thing to note is that you may have some discomfort after your teeth whitening treatment. You may need to be careful about extreme heat and cold. Over time, this sensitivity will fade, but in the beginning, you want to protect those newly whitened precious pearls.
Yes! Whitening products are absolutely going to help keep your teeth whiter for longer.
As many whitening products as you can use will help to keep your investment strong.
There are plenty of options available, and you don’t have to click far to get them (clean, science-backed whitening is the Supersmile specialty if you didn’t know!).
You can use a pre-rinse that will help to prep your mouth for cleaning. Then, use a good whitening toothpaste to do most of the work for you. Many people will use a whitening floss to get in the cracks and around the top of the teeth -- which is where your whitening will first start to fade. Then, you can use a mouthwash with whitening properties to really seal everything in and keep your sparkly white smile as beautiful as ever!
There are other products you can use as well. You can chew whitening gum or use whitening trays or gels to help you keep everything beautiful. For those occasional days or nights when you do want to eat or drink those things that stain your teeth, you can use a spot-treatment that will help to target any staining that you see.
You didn’t think the OGs of teeth whitening wouldn’t have all our bases covered, did you?
Of course, there are some risks associated with whitening your teeth.
You don’t want to overdo it and get these kinds of procedures too often, or you could make your teeth far too sensitive and actually weaken them. You also can’t use whitening as a replacement for regular dental care.
It’s also important to be careful when using trendy Instagram-promo home kits. There are many people who have used these kits and ended up with burns on their lips, skin burns, contact dermatitis, and even gums that have been permanently bleached.
Another thing to remember is that sometimes teeth are too far gone to be whitened fully. It works best on teeth that are yellow or lightly stained, rather than teeth that are brown, black, gray, or purple. The darker your teeth are and the longer they have been stained, the harder they will be to whiten. It is possible to do so, especially if you are willing to undergo multiple treatments, but it’s best to work with a professional to get optimal results.
Before using an over-the-counter whitening kit, talk to your dentist, especially if you typically have tooth pain or problem areas in your mouth.
In the end, how long your teeth whitening lasts is truly up to you. It does come down to a little bit of luck, of course, because you can do everything correctly, and your genes may simply dictate that your teeth just aren’t naturally pearly white.
It’s important to give your teeth the daily dose of TLC they need with brushing, flossing, and gargling to keep them as clean and healthy as possible. This will give you a good base for whitening, and the amount of care you apply in your daily oral hygiene regimen will significantly impact just how long your whitening results will last.
Keep your oral wellness simple. Work with your dentist, brush your teeth with a good whitening toothpaste, try to use a straw when you drink that iced caramel latte, and always floss. It’s not rocket science, but if you keep your pearls in tip top shape on a daily basis, your whitening results will definitely be something to last for years to come!
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3360947/
https://www.healthline.com/health/is-teeth-whitening-safe
https://www.ada.org/member-center/oral-health-topics/whitening
]]>But nevertheless, you don't have to have a mouth full of brown or missing teeth to be in the first tooth decay stages.
We want to help everyone achieve the smile of their dreams, which means being preventative and identifying possible problems before they get out of hand.
We’re here to share some examples of warning signs that signify tooth decay so you’re informed about what you can do if you’re on the road to rotten teeth. If you stay vigilant about your oral hygiene, you can brighten those pearly whites like a boss and rotten teeth won’t dare come ‘round your neighborhood.
Tooth decay often refers to what we also call cavities. Cavities happen because dental plaque is allowed to build upon your teeth. Plaque is a combination of food particles and bacteria that naturally live in our mouths. This acidic combination takes a while to do anything, but it starts eroding your enamel and can infect the sensitive inside of your tooth.
Underneath the tough outer enamel, you have a layer of soft dentin that can become easily infected when it is exposed to the bacteria in dental plaque. If a tooth stays infected for long enough, the roots will die, and the whole tooth will fall out. Not to mention it hurts. A lot.
Damaged teeth have a variety of symptoms, most of which aren't visible. After all, it's hard to get a good look at all of your teeth, right? Dentists have to use long sticks with mirrors on the ends to see.
Sometimes, cavities can be small enough to not show any visible symptoms at all. This is why you should visit your dentist regularly, so they can check your teeth more thoroughly and fix the problem before it has a chance to worsen.
You are most prone to cavities and infections in your back teeth because they have lots of grooves and are harder to reach.
Plus, many people don't spend long enough brushing their back teeth or flossing back there because, obviously, you can't see back there. After all, you don't smile with your molars.
Although the hole of a cavity is probably too small for you to see, you may notice other types of symptoms when your teeth begin to rot, such as:
If you are running a fever or have noticed other signs of infection, you may need to make an emergency appointment with your dentist.
No type of rot is good for your oral hygiene, but infections are particularly serious for your overall health and need to be treated right away.
Also, keep in mind that some of these symptoms might be related to a different underlying medical condition. Part of why a dentist is so necessary is that you may think you have a rotting tooth, but the symptoms can turn out to be from something entirely different. They can help you investigate.
As a note, teens and older adults are at a higher risk for cavities and tooth decay.
Teens tend to forget about brushing and flossing (because let’s face it, they think they have a lot going on).
If you have noticed that one or more of those symptoms seems to fit the bill for your teeth, don't despair. There are plenty of ways to get a handle on your rotten teeth and turn them into a smile that will shine bright enough to illuminate the room.
You will probably need to make a few changes in your hygiene habits to prevent further decay in the future.
Still, at Supersmile, we’re here to make your journey that much easier by offering products designed specifically for your oral health needs paired with dentist-approved advice from our very own founder, Dr. Irwin Smigel, the first and only dentist to be inducted into the Smithsonian. He founded Supersmile because he loved to see people confidently flashing their photo-worthy smiles around town, and we’re proud to continue that vision!
Luckily, public officials have worked for many years to help people fight back against tooth decay by introducing fluoride to public water supplies. Drinking from your city's water supply never sounded so good.
Fluoride helps keep your teeth healthy and strong, which keeps away the cavities.
Many dentists recommend that children have fluoride treatments when they're young, so their teeth grow up to shine as brightly as they do. However, despite these measures, you still have to remember to take care of your teeth on your own.
One of the best ways to lessen tooth decay is to keep the plaque from building up, hardening, and becoming tartar.
The easiest way to do that is to use the right toothbrush. When it comes to brushing your teeth, you should know how you brush is just as important as remembering to brush.
If you want to be sure that you're using the best toothbrush available, try our Zina45 Deluxe Sonic Pulse Toothbrush.
It ain't your mama's toothbrush! It delivers uncompromising cleanliness and polishing, so you can have a smile so bright it lights up a Zoom.
The other thing to remember is exactly what your dentist says every time you visit: floss your teeth. Show that plaque who's floss!
Flossing is a gentle and safe way to remove the bacteria and plaque you can't get to with a toothbrush. Even the best toothbrushes can't actually get between your teeth like flossing, so there is literally no replacement. Flossing fights gingivitis and cavities that might form in between your teeth by reaching below the gum line, so never forget this often forgotten step!
If you suspect some rotting culprits in your mouth, you should always consult with your dental professional to identify what is wrong and work with them to develop a plan to address the issues. Depending on what is causing the problem, your dentist may recommend some changes in your daily habits to prevent further oral damage.
Typically, your dentist will recommend doing a fluoride treatment to help your teeth remineralize and coat themselves to prevent any bacteria and plaque from getting into them, which may ultimately cause infection. For cavities, your dentist will drill down into them, clean out the bacteria, and then fill in the hole to reseal the tooth.
In a more severe scenario, you may require a root canal. A root canal is only needed if the bacteria has completely infected a tooth, and the infection has killed off the roots of your tooth. If the dentist can save the tooth, it's wonderful, but usually, dentists have to take the tooth out and give you an implant, bridge, or denture.
An important reminder about root canals: if a kid has a tooth infection in a baby tooth, you may be tempted to shrug it off thinking that the tooth will fall out anyway and rationalize that there's no need to spend money on the dentist. However, sometimes the infection can cause damage to the permanent teeth underneath, so you should always check with a dentist about your child's toothache.
The process may be painful, but if you go to your dentist at the first sign of trouble, you won't give that nasty plaque the chance to do serious damage to your precious pearls.
Hopefully, knowing what to look out for will give you a little insight into what's going on in your mouth when you aren't looking.
With a little help and support from your friendly neighborhood dentist and the Supersmile team, you can practice good oral hygiene and be back to smiling your best smile in no time!
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/rotten-teeth
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cavities/symptoms-causes/syc-20352892
]]>At Supersmile, we’re all about helping you get the oral wellness you deserve, and that includes fresh breath, too! So, here are some of our top tips that will help you to get that fresh breath feeling (and smell) once again, even if you’re on-the-go or unprepared.
Depending on how garlicky your breath is, you may want to mix and match some of the below tips and tricks for the best results. By taking advantage of a few of these suggestions simultaneously, you will be eliminating various aspects of the garlic and hopefully keeping it away for a longer period of time.
Even so, there is simply nothing better than brushing and flossing your teeth and gargling as soon as you can.
Of course, it may seem simple, but brush your teeth and brush them well.
You want to ensure that you get in between your teeth, you remove the plaque, and you get rid of all the food bits that may be smelling up your mouth. Even a small bit of food can keep that garlic smelling strong.
Use a soft bristle brush that will get between your teeth, scrub well around braces if you have ‘em, and use small circles to get the best results. Brush for at least two minutes, or maybe even a little longer if you think that garlicy smell is still lingering -- just don’t brush too hard!
The crevices can be the culprits. Garlic and other food particles tend to hang out in your mouth and around the tooth line, which is sometimes hard to get with traditional brushing.
Use a good dental floss that will grab the plaque and particles and remove them quickly from your mouth.
One good tip is to floss before you brush, because sometimes the particles will fall off of the tape and stay in your mouth. By flossing first, you remove those particles and allow the toothpaste to do its job in removing the smell. It’s a tag team effort that your date will thank you for later.
Need a quick fix? Probably the fastest way to eliminate your garlic breath is to use a strong mouthwash.
This will help to get in between teeth and flush out any remaining food particles. Swish it around for at least 30 seconds, if not longer, to really allow it to work its charm in your mouth.
Don’t be afraid to use two mouthfuls of the wash, either. Gargle it as far back as you can into the throat, so it really coats your tongue and gets to where you may not even be able to reach with a scraper.
Consider scraping your tongue.
There is a ton of bacteria that hangs out in the small pockets of your mouth. The stink will stay in those pockets for as long as you allow it to, so scrape from back to front and go back as far as you can.
If you combine these three steps and do a complete cleaning of your mouth, you are going to eliminate that garlic breath. While this may seem like a lot of time, it shouldn’t take you more than a few minutes to completely clean your mouth.
If you don’t have access to a bathroom or your toothpaste, consider buying on-the-go toothbrushes and flossers that you keep in your bag.
They aren’t as effective as your traditional toothbrush, but they can help you quite a bit when you are in a bind. Take that, garlic breath!
So, what happens if you don’t have access to a bathroom, and you don’t have access to any of these oral freshness products?
The first thing you can try is eating fresh produce that will clear some of the bacteria and neutralize the smell in your mouth.
Some of the best produce you can eat includes apples, strawberries, pears, mangos, carrots, cucumbers, or anything else that has a strong flavor that will really stick in your mouth.
Now, obviously, this is only a temporary solution. You can buy yourself some time, but eventually, garlic seems to find a way to come back to the forefront of your mouth.
One of the most obvious solutions is to use gum or mints to help mask the taste of garlic.
You can choose gum of any mint flavor or even cinnamon, which may actually work a bit better than some of the other options you have. Try to choose a piece of sugar-free gum, as that will protect your teeth from any damage as well as freshen your breath.
Again, this is a step that is only going to mask the scent for a limited amount of time. You can keep replacing the gum or mints to keep up with it, but eventually, you will need to try something a little more thorough.
Water is the answer to so many problems, isn’t it?
When you’re stuck between a rock and garlic breath, take a big drink of water to help rinse some of the food and bacteria out of your mouth. The water can be any temperature, and you may even want to swish it around and rinse if you can.
For even better results, add lemon or lime to your water or crush up some mint leaves to help mask the smell as well as remove as much food debris as possible.
Another great trick, even though it may not taste so great, is to add a little bit of apple cider vinegar into your water. You don’t want to just drink down ACV because it can burn your stomach and actually do some pretty serious damage to your mouth, but a little dab can help.
If you can get them, chewing on mint leaves can really be a lifesaver when it comes to a bad breath emergency.
This is a great choice if you want to get a stronger flavor quickly, and you don’t want to be chewing gum for a long period of time. You can also replace the mint leaves as needed.
Once again, you may want to try a small bit of mint before you chew on a whole leaf. We all have different tolerances of the mint flavor, and if you’re new to mint, you may not respond well to the entire leaf.
Another great option that you can try is to drink milk. Milk has a way of clinging in the mouth and will actually neutralize some of the taste and remove it from your mouth.
Then you may have to worry about the taste and feel of milk in your mouth, but it still works.
If you don’t like the taste of dairy milk, some alternatives will work like oat milk or almond milk, but they may not be quite as effective.
If you want to prevent the taste of garlic from clinging to your mouth and sticking around longer than you like it, you can actually prevent it from happening at all by cooking with only the “bulb” part of the garlic.
When you go to peel and dice the garlic, remove that inner core, which is going to have the most potent flavor.
If you are using garlic powder, try to add it in the middle of cooking, as that will eliminate some of the “clinging” feeling that garlic can have.
Plain and simple, no one likes garlic breath. However, garlic is one of those spices that no one wants to eliminate because it’s a great spice to cook with, enhances flavors, and some types of food just doesn’t taste right without it.
But luckily, whether you are making your favorite Italian dish for a first date or you ate something with a little more garlic than you expected at lunch, these are some pretty quick and easy things you can do to freshen your breath right away.
So, smile through the smell, and do your best to get your breath back to minty freshness!
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/home-remedies-for-bad-breath
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/bad-breath-what-causes-it-and-what-to-do-about-it-2019012115803
]]>If you’re experiencing gum pain, it’s just a bit too late to prevent it, but thankfully, there are some at-home treatments you can use to alleviate it, even if you may need to eventually seek professional treatment.
We believe everyone deserves a bright, beautiful, healthy smile, and we’re here to help. Luckily, there are some really simple remedies for gum pain, even if it is a problem that you should probably have treated by a dentist at some point.
Some of the simplest, but most effective ways to treat (not cure) gum pain include:
These are pretty easy ways to relieve mild gum pain. However, if it gets to be too much to handle, then you need to see a dentist quick to get to the root of the issue.
This may not be a shocking revelation to you, but many people have low levels of gum disease that causes gum pain. Some of the first signs of gum pain will be redness, swelling, and bleeding. You may spot it for the first time when you brush or floss your teeth. If you get random bleeds, then the gum disease may be worsening.
When gum disease gets bad enough, it will eventually cause your teeth to pull away. Eventually, pockets will form along the gum line which cause further problems.
Why is this a critical issue, you ask? This can wreak havoc on your beautiful smile because food can get stuck in those pockets, causing swelling and painful infection.
When gum disease gets bad enough, your teeth will loosen and the bones that hold them in place will start to break down, making it easier to knock out teeth or for teeth to fall out (which let’s be honest, no one wants!).
Historically, tobacco usage is one of the biggest causes of gum pain and oral cancer, which can also cause gum pain. Any smokeless products, like snuff, dip, or chewing tobacco can lead to gum disease. The longer that you allow it to sit between your cheek or lips and gums, the worse the gum pain will be.
Long term tobacco usage can lead to gums that are pulled back from your teeth, sores inside your mouth, and overall tooth loss.
Another cause of gum pain is canker sores, which are red splotches that show up anywhere in your mouth, including on your gums. Sometimes, you will see them with a white coating.
Most often, canker sores will go away on their own within a couple of weeks, but you can also see your dentist for a little extra help nudging them away.
If your gums hurt to the point where you cannot sleep, eat, or focus comfortably, or if they bleed and hurt for more than a week, it’s time to make a trip to the dentist. This is a severe sign of gum disease and gingivitis, which you can’t handle on your own.
The good news is that you can get your teeth and mouth back on track if you are willing to do the work, but that work often needs to be guided by a professional.
If you don’t see a dentist and it gets bad enough, you may get a more serious disease called periodontitis. Remember that gum disease can actually impact your heart and it has been linked to heart disease, so you need to take care of your mouth in order to protect your heart.
If you have ongoing symptoms, dentures that don’t fit anymore, pain when you chew, loose teeth, sensitivity, or any other problems, see a dentist as soon as possible.
Ready for the bright side? Gum pain can be prevented with a good oral health routine.
By simply forming good habits, you can prevent long-term issues, pain, tooth loss, and costly dental treatments. Just by doing a few simple daily oral care tasks, you are doing enough to prevent the most serious of dental problems.
First, brush your teeth at least twice every day.
Be sure to brush after meals to help remove food debris and plaque that can get trapped between your teeth and gums. Use a tongue scraper or brush your tongue to rid that of bacteria as well.
You should also floss your teeth at least once a day to remove food particles that get trapped between the teeth and along the gumline.
You can floss before brushing, too. Follow brushing and flossing with mouthwash, which can reduce plaque and remove any remaining food particles that linger in your mouth. This also gets the bacteria on your teeth, gums, cheeks, and tongue. For complete preventative oral health, you can also use a pre-rinse.
For the best oral health, avoid smoking and chewing tobacco.
Try not to consistently eat foods that are crunchy or hard, which can cause tears in your gums and lead to pain. Limit salty, spicy, and acidic foods that can irritate existing problems. As you get older, you will need to take extra care to protect your teeth.
You should also try to be proactive about knowing your risk for oral health problems.
This is something that can be passed down through DNA. If your family has a history of tooth or dental problems, you may want to be extra vigilant.
Finally, if you think that you are going to have a problem, be sure to get a comprehensive examination from your dentist and, if you think it is required, a periodontist.
Research has shown that gum disease and gum pain are far more likely to impact men than they are to affect women.
There are many reasons why this is believed to be true, including the fact that men are less likely to go to the dentist, and they usually don’t take care of their teeth as well, in many cases.
Sorry, guys -- there are studies.
Most importantly, be careful about the products that you use in your mouth.
Ensure that everything is high quality and healthy for your teeth and gums. Sometimes, harsh abrasives can cause microtears throughout your mouth, which may lead to pain.
Ensure that all dental work you get done is carried out appropriately, as some implants and caps can lead to gum disease and gum pain.
Gum pain is a tricky thing, and by the time you feel it or see signs of gum disease, it may already be too late to do anything simple to treat the pain and problem. Often, you will need to seek out help from a professional if the pain is too much to handle or does not subside.
Gum pain and gum disease prevention is simple and easy, especially if you already have a great oral care routine.
If gum pain does hit you hard, there are ways you can handle it, so it doesn’t disrupt your life. But if the pain does get to be so bad that you need help, it’s important to follow through on your appointments and continue building good oral hygiene habits.
Remember, your gums are just as important as those pearly whites, so keep them both brushed, cleaned, and healthy as can be for that long-lasting smile you deserve!
Sources:
https://www.perio.org/consumer/gum-disease-and-men
https://elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=4460607
https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/wk/phh/2017/00000023/00000002/art00001
]]>Truthfully, most of us don’t remember where or when we purchased that bottle of toothpaste, and we are even less likely to remember when we opened it.
While your paste probably isn’t going to harm you if you use it, toothpaste does expire, and there are some benefits you may be losing if you’re brushing your pearly whites with old paste.
So, the million-dollar question: What is a toothpaste’s real shelf life?
Under typical conditions, toothpaste has a shelf life of about two years, depending on whether or not it contains fluoride or other active ingredients. After this time, the toothpaste may change colors, change flavors, or not be as effective.
All toothpastes are slightly different -- even for the same brand as formulas change over time.
Like almost everything else, toothpaste expires because it has active ingredients that cannot be preserved forever. The effectiveness of the ingredients in your toothpaste will determine the shelf-life, which is why most toothpastes will have similar, but slightly different, expiration periods.
Almost all toothpastes will include fluoride, which is an ingredient that will start to break down over time, decreasing its effectiveness. This is the ingredient most likely to dictate when your toothpaste expires, even though you can’t really see it.
Of course, there are many other ingredients that have shelf lives as well. Some of the other active ingredients include abrasives, flavoring or sweetening ingredients, something to moisturize, and a detergent.
It really depends on the ingredients chosen whether or not they will expire and eventually start to decrease in effectiveness.
Toothpaste can go bad, but not necessarily expire, for a few other reasons as well:
There are many other reasons why your toothpaste could go bad – sometimes, you may even just get a bad tube or the tube gets punctured while you are storing it. Whatever the reason, you don’t want to use toothpaste that you suspect has gone bad.
Luckily, it’s usually not an overly expensive self-care product, so replacing a tube that you suspect has gone bad is always the better choice.
You got it – fluoride is usually the culprit. So, let’s dig a little deeper into why fluoride is the main reason why toothpaste expires.
Since fluoride is an active ingredient in most toothpastes, it is usually the reason why toothpastes expire.
This doesn’t mean that fluoride goes bad or even that it is dangerous for you, it just means that the fluoride starts to degrade and become less effective over time.
Fluoride is what keeps your enamel strong, which is what, in turn, makes your teeth shiny, white, and photo-ready. It is also what keeps your teeth free from cavities. It is important to keep your enamel strong because enamel is something that cannot be added back to your teeth. It’s like ice cream -- once it’s gone, it’s really gone.
All toothpastes need to be printed with an expiration date per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). You can find this expiration date on the tube somewhere, usually stamped into the tube itself, and sometimes printed in a black ink.
So, here’s the scoop for those of you who are deem yourselves adventurous and like to live on the edge by brushing with expired toothpaste.
While it isn’t necessarily going to hurt you to use an expired toothpaste, it also may not help you.
If the sweetener or other active flavoring has turned sour, it may not taste all that great either. Because toothpaste should clean your teeth and prevent cavities, the fresher it is, the better it will be at its job.
Toothpaste that has expired may also be slightly drier and have an inconsistent texture that may make brushing a little difficult or unenjoyable.
Sometimes, the ingredients will begin to separate, causing you to lose some of the much-needed benefits.
In rare cases, toothpaste that has bacteria or fungi growing on it can actually make you sick.
Be sure to look at your toothpaste before you put it in your mouth. While it can be hard to keep your eyes open in the morning, you should at least take a glance at your chosen magic paste for your glowing pearls’ sake.
We understand that you want to keep your toothpaste fresh and effective, so here are a few proactive steps you can take.
Another tip, especially if you have problems with toothpaste going bad: you may want to buy toothpaste that is in a plastic container rather than a tube, and be sure you store it so that there is air on only one side of the tube so that it isn’t spread out. If you have a tube, you can find one of those tube flatteners that ensures no extra air is in the container.
But what do you do if you simply can’t remember when you opened a tube of toothpaste? In order to remember when you opened your toothpaste, so you can track when it expires, we suggest simply adding a note on your phone, getting a white sticker and writing the date you opened it to place on the tube, or simply keeping a list somewhere else. It isn’t a bad idea to do this with your other personal care items either.
Ensuring that you know when you opened the tube will give you the peace of mind of knowing when it's time to give that tube the boot.
Let’s face it, we’ve all been taught not to be wasteful. So, nobody wants to throw away something that we paid good money for, but there are actually some things that you can do with your expired toothpaste to make it worth your while.
While it may not work in every instance, you can try using your expired toothpaste to:
See, expired toothpaste can still come in handy!
So, in short, yes toothpaste does expire. It isn’t necessarily going to make you extremely sick or have any significant negative impacts, but it isn’t going to help you in your quest to obtain good oral wellness.
When you doubt whether or not your toothpaste is good for you or expired, it is always best to err on the side of caution and assume that it has gone bad.
Buying another tube of toothpaste probably isn’t going to break the bank, but the dental work that comes from not having good enough toothpaste certainly will. So, give your glowing pearly whites the best. Why? Because they deserve it!
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]]>At Supersmile, we understand that when you have sensitive teeth, the things that used to make you happy and provide you with joy are suddenly the things you fear most.
Instead of switching over to exclusively eating lukewarm, mushy oatmeal or avoiding the foods that make your teeth tingle, there is a better solution: using a sensitive tooth toothpaste that’s sure to make you smile again.
You don’t want to (and shouldn’t) overbrush your teeth to try and get everything that you want out of a toothpaste. That’s a waste of time and can actually be counterproductive.
Try to find everything that you want in your toothpaste in one tube.
For example, if you are a wine and coffee fan and worry about tooth staining, you may want to use a whitening toothpaste. If you want something that is anti-cavity, you may want to look for one that fits that bill with fluoride and other mouth-happy ingredients.
You don’t want to have to do too much to your teeth, and you probably don’t have the time to do it either, so look for a toothpaste that will cover it all. Finding this toothpaste can be a bit like finding a boyfriend or girlfriend -- you may have to try a few before you find the right one!
This may seem simple, but it is a huge thing for some people. Often, sensitivity toothpastes don’t have a great taste, or they don’t feel great in the mouth,and so people really don’t want to use them at all.
A toothpaste is only as effective if you use it on a regular basis.
Very few people look forward to this part of their routine (other than when you have that feeling like you have little sweaters on your teeth), but you shouldn’t dread it either. You’ve got to love the paste you’re with, and that means delicious flavors and effective ingredients.
So, where do you begin? The first thing you should do when on the lookout for the best toothpaste for sensitive teeth is narrow down the list of ingredients that you know you want in your toothpaste. With so many different brands on the market today, there are a plethora of ingredients out there, some good and some not-so good.
For a sensitivity toothpaste, look for less-harsh ingredients like potassium nitrate and strontium chloride to help give your teeth some gusto back, paired with clean remineralizers like calcium, magnesium, phosphates, and of course, fluoride.
Your polished pearls deserve the best! So, on top of being a good toothpaste for sensitive teeth, you want to ensure that your toothpaste is just a good toothpaste overall. According to the Cleveland Clinic, your toothpaste should have at least 1,000 parts per million fluoride. The rest of it is kind of up to you in terms of toothpaste effectiveness and quality.
Of course, there are also some ingredients that you definitely don’t want to see mixed in your sensitive toothpaste.
Like what, you ask? For starters, you don’t want anything that is going to break down your enamel anymore, so you should probably steer clear of charcoal kinds of toothpaste or anything that is too abrasive.
If you have any allergies or sensitivities, be sure to read the box and look for those ingredients as well. Any swelling or inflammation in your mouth can actually make matters worse and cause your teeth even more discomfort (no thank you!).
Let’s be straight, people love to be brutally honest on reviews, so be sure you look them over. You will quickly be able to sense a trend and see whether the toothpaste has actually worked for people or whether it caused more issues (or did nothing at all).
While every product is going to have some negative reviews, you will probably be able to see what people really think if you sift through even just a few.
Don’t just rely on product websites either -- go to their retailers, check their social media, and do some perusing there.
Being patient and thorough is sure to pay off here!
Did you know how you eat really impacts how sensitive your teeth may be? Even though what you put into your mouth isn’t the only cause of sensitivity, it is a huge factor for some people. The foods that we eat can breakdown our enamel, which acts as a defense system for the hypersensitive nerves in our mouths.
When you drink fizzy drinks, eat acidic foods, or eat citrus, you are wearing down that precious enamel that your teeth need so much.
If you can narrow down what is causing your pain, then you may be able to find a toothpaste that focuses on that. And the good news is that with a solid sensitivity toothpaste, you won’t have to worry as much about what you eat.
We’ll be honest, there are many brands that are jumping onto the sensitivity bandwagon as it becomes a more prevalent problem, and not all brands are giving you their best.
You want to find a toothpaste that has been around for a while and has been proven effective, not one that is just trying to get some quick sales or chase trends.
After all, you only have one beautiful smile, so you have to protect it.
Availability matters. Sometimes, sensitivity toothpastes are hard to get! It’s a weird phenomenon, but many toothpastes are out of stock online regularly, and sometimes, they can be hard to find at your local pharmacy.
You want to ensure that you can get your chosen toothpaste when you want it, so you never have to pull out that backup regular toothpaste that will live in the back of your bathroom drawer.
Even the best toothpaste for sensitive teeth won’t work properly unless you follow the instructions. You may think that you know how to brush your teeth, but you may be mistaken. Sometimes, you will have to use a wet toothbrush or a dry toothbrush for the best results. Other times, you may only need to use the toothpaste once a day. Some will have rules about what mouthwash you can and cannot use.
It only takes a few seconds to read those directions, and it may take you a few days to form a new habit if it differs from what you usually do. Even so, keep it up to see the best results.
Another way to get the most photo-worthy results is to use best practices when you are brushing your teeth.
By using a good sensitivity toothpaste, brushing twice a day, and maintaining a mouth-happy care routine, you are well on your way.
You may also want to ensure that you are brushing properly: get along the gum line using smaller, circular movements. Wait for at least an hour after you eat before you brush. It may even benefit you to get a sonic toothbrush.
No matter what, get something that has soft bristles, as that helps to keep your enamel intact. Of course, you also want to remember to change your toothbrush (or head) every three to four months.
If you notice that you have pain, be sure to go to the dentist to have it checked. While it could be sensitivity, it could also be a sign that something else is going on and you need dental care to prevent it from getting any worse.
At Supersmile, we’re happy to share that if you have sensitive teeth, you are far from alone. In fact, nearly a quarter of all Americans have sensitive teeth that respond to either hot or cold or both. If you have sensitive teeth, you are a great candidate for a sensitivity toothpaste.
You may also want to consider getting routine dental checkups, brushing your teeth correctly, and thinking about what else goes into your mouth. Because in the end, you want to keep those pearly whites happy, healthy, and pain-free!
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/dental-and-oral-health/desensitizing-toothpaste#ingredients
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