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Brushing your teeth is the foundation of basic oral hygiene. Over the years, there have been big debates from dental practices and the general public about what types of toothbrush is the most effective and better for our teeth. Whilst there are benefits to both types of toothbrushes, we’re definitely pro electric.
However, it should be emphasised that as well as selecting the right toothbrush for full effectiveness, you should also keep up with consistent habits to get the best results and keep your teeth healthy. Here at Infinitidental, we highly recommend brushing teeth twice per day and using interdental cleaning aids such as floss or interdental brushes at least once per day the gaps in-between your teeth.
Benefits of electric toothbrushes
There are a multitude of benefits when it comes to electric toothbrushes. Brushing twice a day for at least two minutes each time is the minimum requirement for healthy teeth. However, many people cut short the duration and only brush for between 60 and 90 seconds on average. With electric toothbrushes, you have the benefit of built-in timers to accurately signal when you’ve brushed each quadrant for 30 seconds and reached two minutes overall. This is highly beneficial for removing plaque and bacteria.
As well as built-in times, here are a few further benefits of electric toothbrushes:
- Can help to reduce toothe decay and improve the overall health of gums
- Can help to clean away more plaque than a manual toothbrush
- By having consistent power, you can achieve a very effective teeth clean
- Can help to eliminate bad breath
- Various cleaning modes and timing functionality ensures that you brush your teeth for the time required
- Electric tooth brushes provide greater confidence for the user with a cleaner, healthier teeth.
May improve focus
Let’s face it. Brushing our teeth is a menial and boring task that we have to do daily. However, it is really important. At least one study has shown that electric toothbrushes improve our focus when brushing. This means we’re far more likely to stay the course of the two minutes and achieve better oral hygiene with no extra effort.
Safe for gums
As well as brushing our teeth regularly, it’s also important to brush and look after our gums to prevent gum disease. With manual toothbrushes, it can sometimes be too easy to scrub sideways with the wrong firmness brush head. This can cause recession when repeated twice daily over a variable period of time. Brushing the exposed root thereafter leads to abrasion of the tooth surface which when significant will require restorations to be placed over the exposed dentine to seal and protect the root surface and reduce symptoms of sensitivity. Electric brushes used with the correct head type in the right fashion can limit recession and tooth surface loss at the gum margins.
Better for kids
Children can find it hard to keep up with consistent brushing habits, and it can be even more challenging for adults to help them maintain. With electric toothbrushes, you’ll find children are a lot more fascinated by the product and will seem a lot more engaged. It adds an element of fun, too otherwise a boring task, which means they’re far more likely to keep consistent.
More effective for plaque removal
Further studies have been shown that within a three month comparison, electric toothbrushes removed up to 21% more plaque. This is due to the easiness of use, built-in timers and just the general user-friendliness of the products that reaps oral hygiene benefits.
The verdict – go electric!
Although electric toothbrushes are generally a lot more expensive than manual toothbrushes, it’s clear to see that it’s an investment worth making. It’s all about finding the right toothbrush for you that feels comfortable and is effective for maintaining oral hygiene. Studies have shown that electric toothbrushes are definitely the way to go, especially if you’re looking to remove plaque much more effectively. There are a range of best-selling electric toothbrushes that you can select from. Just a few of the best branded ones include Oral B and Philips Sonicare. If you’re unsure on the best type of toothbrush for you, give Infinitidental Clinic a call as we’d love to offer our expertise and guidance to help you.
Flossing
What is Flossing?
Flossing is an often forgotten – yet essential – oral hygiene habit. Brushing your teeth twice per day is the minimum standard for healthy teeth. However, it’s apparent that flossing is often a technique that goes under the radar and is neglected by many.
Flossing is used to clean between your teeth and often gets where toothbrushes can’t. By using a piece of soft string and holding it between your fingers, it can then be manouevered up and down against the tooth surfaces to remove any excess plaque and bacteria. Although it seems an easy enough task to perform, it does take some practice to reap the full benefits.
What are the benefits of flossing?
When flossing is performed on a regular basis, you’ll start to see some amazing benefits. When it comes to oral hygiene, many people see it as an additional method. However, our dentists strongly recommend that you implement flossing on a daily basis.
The prevention of bad breath
When food debris builds up in between teeth, bad breath may be the consequence. By flossing, you can prevent the build of plaque and food debris between your teeth and stay on top of your oral hygiene habits for long lasting healthy teeth.
Prevents Gingivitis
Gingivitis is the inflammation of gums that causes bleeding and swollen gums. Gingivitis often starts due to bad oral hygiene and the build up of bacteria settling into the gums. In combination with good brushing, flossing regularly between the teeth reduces the chances of suffering with this condition.
Works in unison with brushing
When looking after your teeth, it’s important to make sure all teeth are cleaned thoroughly. Studies have shown that brushing alone leaves up to 35% of the mouth uncleaned. As a result, bacteria and plaque are invited to multiply.
Interdental brushes
Here at Infinitidental Clinic, we highly recommend interdental brushes. The effectiveness of these brushes should not be underestimated for fantastic oral hygiene. Interdental brushes serve as an alternative to flossing but ultimately do a similar job. They’re highly effective for removing plaque and food debris between teeth and should be used daily to achieve the best possible results.
These brushes are made to prevent gum disease. Throughout the day, most of us eat snacks between our meals which only adds to the build up of plaque. Interdental brushes are available with various sizes of bristled heads and therefore they can fit in-between the gaps of your teeth and quickly remove anything whilst it’s still on the surface.
Mouthwash
As well as flossing and using an interdental brush, rinsing with a mouthwash is another action you can implement regularly to maintain good oral hygiene. Not only can mouthwashes help to keep your breath nice and fresh, depending on type they may also help prevent the build up of plaque bacteria and harden tooth surfaces to resist acid attack and decay. Most if not all mouthwashes available over the counter are now alcohol and sugar free.
If you’re unsure on the best type of mouthwash for you, give us a call and we will be happy to advice you further during your check-up.