breathsofresh.com

Brush too hard?

Amy — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:56:55 +0000

Try this for me and if you feel anything like a twinge or pain, read on. It’s better if you do it outside when it’s cold but it can work when you are inside, however you may look a bit strange so do warn people before you do it! Open your lips but keep your teeth together and suck some air in very fast whilst keeping your teeth together. If you feel the sharp twinge of pain or a weird aching, you’ve probably got receding gums or sensitive teeth. You can get a similar pain when eating ice lollies or if you get chocolate stuck along your gum line. You will need to use a softer toothbrush and toothpaste suitable for sensitive teeth. There are some you can get that are ‘pronamel’ which help the enamel on your teeth to stay strong, and some that help build it back up. Instead of just picking up your usual toothpaste next time you’re at the supermarket have a peek at the others and get one which will help to ease the pain and possibly prevent it going forwards. A big tip would also be to brush more gently because if you cause your gum line to recede it really hurts when anything touches the exposed nerve! There’s toothpaste out there to help this also.

No toothbrush?

Amy — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:34:03 +0000

There may come a time when you find yourself stranded, not necessarily in a desert island type situation, but perhaps if you stay at a friend’s house after a heavy night or if you forget your toothbrush if you go away for the weekend. Until you can high tail it to the shop to pick up a spare, there may be things you can keep in the car or in your coat pocket in case of a dental emergency! You can pick up mini toothbrush packs which include a fold up toothbrush and a tiny tube of toothpaste which fit nicely in the palm of your hand. These can be picked up from pharmacies. If you are not that prepared, why not try rubbing toothpaste over your teeth with your finger then gargling with mouthwash? Or take the advice from our friends of the natural world and rub a few sage leaves over your teeth and use a toothpick to get around the gum line. Although to be fair I’d still want to rinse with mouthwash after this method! Alternatively swill your mouth out with water and have a cup of coffee. Or just buy a new toothbrush!

Clean, Scale, Polish

Amy — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:34:16 +0000

I have always been very keen on looking after my teeth, even from the moment I was handed my first toothbrush i’ve been aware of the importance of a clean mouth. I can confidently say that there has never been a day since that day my mother let me loose with my own toothbrush that I have not brushed my teeth at least twice a day. There’s nothing better than the feeling of a fresh mouth and running your tongue over your teeth and nothing worse than not being able to brush your teeth when you need to. Or, shock horror, kissing someone who does not understand the importance of brushing twice a day! You can probably guess i’m a bit of a clean freak and this is the reason my dentist never suggested a clean, scale and polish before! Every time I went to the dentist I always got a ‘very well done, you’re my star patient!’, whereas my mother always had a clean, scale and polish every time she went. I looked into this and think I may try it out even though I don’t need it; apparently it is like having a super clean mouth, like brushing, flossing, using mouthwash and then chewing the strongest airwaves chewing gum!

whole mouth freshness

Amy — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:08:24 +0000

Now we’ve all seen these toothbrushes with the tongue cleaner on the back of them but how many people actually clean their tongues? When you are young you are taught to brush your teeth but not necessarily to attend to the rest of your mouth. And as you grow up, when is the age you discover mouthwash, floss, and different brushing techniques? It all depends on your surroundings and the ways the people around you attend to their own oral hygiene I guess. For true minty fresh breath I would recommend using floss, using an anti bacterial mouthwash and brushing for at least two minutes. Whilst you brush, you should attend to all areas of the tooth and not just the tops and front. Make sure you get around the back and underneath your bite also. A top tip for combating bad breath is to use your toothbrush to brush your tongue. This should help to remove any plaque left in your mouth and give you minty fresh breath!

Flossing right?

Amy — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:26:07 +0000

Most people do not understand the benefits of flossing. Until very recently I had been flossing wrong. Yes, I know! I had been flossing once a week and I had been moving the floss back and forth between the teeth under the gum line, and to be honest it did make my mouth feel cleaner. I have since consulted a few friends and they have said they do the same thing. Until I spoke to a friend who had just come from the dentist and had a master class in the art of flossing from her new dentist. Apparently you are supposed to put the floss between your teeth but scoop under the gum line in line with the side of the tooth. This is supposed to be effective at scooping out any plaque that your toothbrush is unable to reach. And you are supposed to floss every day. Try it tonight after you brush your teeth. I did, and the results were amazing. I’ll always floss at night from now on to remove any plaque that is hiding. The longer plaque is left in the mouth, the more it grows which can lead to it attacking your pearly whites and ruining your smile.

Colgate Oral Health Month

Amy — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:58:12 +0000

September signals the beginning of the Colgate Oral Health month. Colgate, in association with the British Dental Association (BDA) are running a programme UK Wide to help promote the importance of oral health. It is an initiative to educate the UK public, through communication between professionals and the public. Road shows and mobile units will be touring venues throughout the month teaching people good brushing techniques and promoting ‘prevention in practice’.
Majority of practices in the UK have taken part in the initiative this year and will be displaying their promotional materials throughout their practises to highlight and increase awareness of the campaign.

www.colgateohm.co.uk.

A Guide to Good Brushing Techniques

Amy — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:00:21 +0000

Brushing your teeth properly can be a saviour when it comes to having fresh breath and keeping your teeth healthy. But most people don’t actually use good technique or even brush their teeth for long enough! Below is a short guide to help you clean your teeth properly.
For good brushing techniques follow these very simple rules:
1.   Brush for a least 2 minutes (120 seconds)
2.   Make sure your brush strokes are short and gentle
3.   Pay special consideration to your gums, the teeth right at the back of the mouth that are hard to get to, and any fillings or crowns or fixed teeth.
4.   Make sure your brush is tilted at a 45 ̊angle and follow this guide
•   Outside upper
•   Outside lower
•   Inside upper
•   Inside lower
•   The tops upper
•   The tops lower
•   Clean your tongue to get rid of bacteria and have fresh breath!

The Braun Oral-B 3D Excel Pulsating Toothbrush

Amy — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:47:59 +0000

The Braun Oral-B 3D Excel Pulsating Toothbrush is probably the one of the best electric toothbrushes that is on the market at the moment. At around £65 (I think you might be able to get it from Argos for a little bit cheaper!) it is at the top end of the range, but being one of the better toothbrushes around it is worth it.
Electric toothbrushes all significantly remove more plaque than normal brushing (but if you’re lazy it doesn’t do it for you!!!). With the Braun Oral-B 3D you get two colour indicating brush heads (both interspaced to clean on and around the teeth) that after 3-4 months will fade to indicate you need to change your brush head. Each head has a different coloured ring on it (so for example the brush can be used by a couple – each having a different coloured brush head). It has two speeds and a pressure sensor to stop you damaging your gums.
It also has a non-slip grip on the base, timer, carry case and a charger.

‘The Wash and Brush Timer’

Amy — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:28:08 +0000

There could be a new way to help teach your children about good dental hygiene.
Mum, Rachel Stephens, invented the ‘Wash & Brush Timer’ after directly experiencing the constant struggle to get her own children, 4 and 7, to brush their teeth for longer.
A marketing and PR specialist, Rachel could see there was a gap in the market and so produced the idea to help children slow down brushing their teeth and to learn how to clean properly.
The product is easy to use with clear buttons, you press one for brushing your teeth and a green LED light comes on (for 2 minutes – the recommended time) and when the light goes red the children know its time to rinse.
The ‘Wash and Brush Timer’ also has the same system for teaching children to wash their hands properly (the timer lasting 30 seconds for hand washing).
Launched in July of this year it is already available in some stores and Rachel is hoping to sell it in dental practices throughout the UK too.
It has a suction pad so it stays put in the bathroom, but can also be portable too. It is a very reasonably priced – check out www.trendykid.co.uk for more details.

Listerine Total Care Mouthwash

Amy — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:04:07 +0000

Listerine Total Care Mouthwash is probably one of the more popular mouth washes around.
At a very reasonable price of £2.19 for a 250ml bottle is it very middle of the road (price wise).
Here are the pros:
1.   It claims to reduce plaque and tartar helping the teeth stay white
2.   Kills up to 99.9% of the mouth bacteria
3.   Strengthens the teeth against decay
4.   24 hour fresh breath
You are meant to use the mouth wash twice a day after brushing, swilling it round for about 30 seconds. Word of warning though, don’t smell the mouth wash or breathe in through your nose when using as the very potent minty smell can make your eyes water slightly!
All reports on review websites are good, and most say that they buy the product regularly.
If you are a fan let me know.