Hi, I'm Katrina Szish for Howdini.
Today we're going to find out how to get a healthy mouth
in just three steps.
To do that, I'm joined by Dr. Brian Kantor, cosmetic dentist. Nice to see
you, Brian.
Nice to see you.
How are you?
I'm great.
Now, I want to dive right in, though.
What are some of the keys to maintaining a healthy mouth?
You know, today, having a healthy mouth is more important than ever.
Actually having a healthy mouth can lead to having a healthier body.
It's more important than ever to take good care of your mouth.
So what I tell all of my patients is to have three easy steps--
a good diet, see your dentist twice a year regularly for cleanings and
checkups, and to have good oral hygiene.
OK, now let's focus a little bit on good oral hygiene--
brushing, flossing, mouthwash.
Is there an order?
Well, the most important thing, yes, is brushing twice a day, flossing
twice a day, and rinsing with mouthwash.
I say brushing and flossing, you can pick whichever one you want to do.
And then you should end with rinsing with mouthwash because it washes it
away and actually leaves you with fresh minty breath.
I love fresh minty breath.
OK, toothbrushes.
Some people swear by their electric toothbrush, and they say it does a
better job than a manual toothbrush.
Is that true?
Well, actually, whatever works for you.
I say to the patient, whatever works for you, you can
use, manual or electric.
The beauty of the electric toothbrush is it does some of the work for you.
There's a timer.
It makes sure you brush each quadrant-- there are four quadrants--
for 30 seconds each.
So it times you, and at two minutes, it beeps, so it knows you've actually
done a thorough job.
The manual toothbrush you actually have to do manually with no timer.
Oh no!
It requires a little more effort, but if you feel comfortable with it,
that's great.
But the most important thing, no matter if it's manual, electric,
battery powered, is the bristles.
It has to have soft bristles.
There's soft, medium, and hard.
So when you're shopping, you should look for--
I guess it says soft bristles?
Soft, yes, absolutely.
It's imperative.
Speaking of shopping for tooth-brushing products, toothpaste.
There are so many out there.
Does it really matter which one I choose?
Yes.
The most important ingredient in toothpaste is it has fluoride.
Fluoride will actually-- it helps remineralize the enamel, so it makes
the teeth healthier.
So the most important ingredient in the toothpaste is fluoride.
Most toothpastes have fluoride, but make sure it has it.
There are a lot of other ingredients that some toothpastes have, and you
have to pick and choose what works best for you.
There are some that a minty fresh.
For people with bad breath, they get more of a minty taste.
There are some that has antisensitivity.
For people with sensitive teeth or gums that have receded, they want a
toothpaste that actually helps decrease the sensitivity.
There's also whitening toothpastes, which help remove surface stain a
little better than the other toothpastes.
So you really have to see what works best for you.
So shop around a little bit.
Try them out.
Yes.
I would say buy a few.
Try them out.
See what works best for you, what tastes best, what you like to use, and
go with that toothpaste.
OK, now when it comes to taste, I think of mouthwash, and we love the
residual effect, that fresh minty breath.
But sometimes, mouthwashes burn.
Now, why do they burn, and do they need to burn?
Does that mean they're doing a good job?
No, the burning does not mean it's doing a good job.
The burning is the alcohol in the mouthwash.
It's not an active ingredient.
All it does is it's a binding agent for the mouthwash.
OK, fantastic.
Now, flossing, of course, is one of those key things.
And it goes way beyond just removing those food particles
from between the teeth.
Yes.
Flossing is imperative.
The teeth have a lot of surface area, a lot of hard-to-get places, and food
gets trapped all over.
And you have to really get all the food out, because the food accumulates
bacteria, and the bacteria cause bad breath and decay.
So flossing actually gets in between the teeth and gets the food particles
out, and it also gets underneath the gums.
Now, there's different types of floss, and you can use what's best for you.
There's a waxed floss.
People with very tight contacts, so in the back of your mouth, the posterior,
some of those molars are really tight together, and it's hard to get regular
floss in there.
So that person should use waxed false because the wax actually
gets in there easier.
It slips in there, and it's easier to get through.
So again, you should try different types of floss and see what
works best for you.
OK, now flossing, though, of course, some people think, eh, I can do it
once a week.
But you say twice a day for flossing.
Yes.
The three most important parts of your oral hygiene is having--
brushing twice a day-- minimum--
flossing twice a day, and rinsing with mouth rinse twice a day as well.
OK, now, of course, one of the most important parts is coming to see the
dentist. How often should we come see you?
Twice a year.
If you have the best oral hygiene in the world, you still have to come see
a dentist. It's important to have a professional cleaning and to get
examined by a dentist. There are a lot of infections and diseases that
actually show signs in the oral cavity before it spreads elsewhere--
oral cancer, leukemia, HIV. These all shows signs and symptoms in the mouth.
So the dentist is almost like a detective and can detect some of these
symptoms before it becomes a problem.
OK, well, thanks so much for joining us, Dr. Kantor.
I think I'm ready to go floss.
How about you?
Thanks.
Thank you.
To recap, you need to get a good toothbrush, an electric, like this
one, or there's lower-cost options, like this battery powered or manual
one, and change them out every three months.
Toothpaste.
The must-haves are cavity fighting with fluoride.
But today you can also get toothpaste to whiten, to fight gingivitis, or for
sensitive teeth.
So talk to your dentist about your needs and spend a little
time in-store or online.
Try a few out and see what works best for you.
The floss.
Remember to floss below the gum line where the bacteria live.
Mouthwash.
It can do more than just freshen your breath.
It can help kill germs that cause plaque, gingivitis, and bad breath.
Use it twice a day, morning and night.
On behalf of Crest, I'm Katrina Szish for Howdini.
For more information, check out the website.