At Staten Island Dental Care, Dr. Frederick Hecht is often asked how to choose the most basic tool of dental hygiene, the toothbrush. Picking a toothbrush in Staten Island can be as difficult as choosing a paint color, and there seems to be just as many choices.
If you have visited the dental section of your local Brooklyn grocery store or Staten Island Walmart lately, you know what I am talking about. There are brushes with bristles of varying lengths, brushes that massage your gums, and brushes that change color when they are used up.
Some toothbrush manufacturers claim their brushes freshen your breath or remove stains from your teeth. How do you choose which brush will be best for your dental hygiene?
One key factor is the firmness of the bristles. Hard bristles may be more effective for cleaning burnt steak off a grill or hard water deposits off a shower floor. However, this does not hold true for your teeth. Medium and firm brushes can damage your gums. Soft and extra-soft bristles are plenty stiff enough to clean plague, food particles, and surface stains from your teeth. Soft bristles also offer more flexibility for hard-to-reach nooks and crannies.
After having restorative dentistry work or oral surgery in Staten Island, especially anything involving soft tissue grafts, make sure you use an extra-soft brush and be careful!
When buying a toothbrush for a child in Manhattan, make sure the brush feels comfortable in their hand. If the size and angle feels awkward, the child will be less likely to use it long enough to clean all areas of the mouth. Children do not necessarily need a child-sized tooth brush. Some Staten Island kids can manage an adult size brush better than a short, narrow child size brush. If you are unsure, ask your Staten Island dentist at Staten Island Dental Care.
What about the electric types and water-shooters? Some Staten Island folks like the feeling of vibrating bristles or a mini-squirt gun blasting away at the plaque. Staten Island people with arthritis or other movement-inhibiting conditions can benefit from powered brushes which take some strain off hands and arm muscles.
Is your toothbrush doing the job? Schedule an exam with your Staten Island dentist at Staten Island Dental Care.
At Staten Island Dental Care, our comfortable dental hygienists instruct our Staten Island pediatric clients and Staten Island adult patients on proper brushing, flossing, and dental hygiene. If you haven’t experienced a dental deep cleaning at Staten Island Dental Care, you don’t know how clean your teeth and gums can feel.
Schedule a thorough dental cleaning today by calling Staten Island Dental Care at 718-761-5757. An outstanding feature of Staten Island Dental Care is excellent clinical treatment and personalized attention. We offer restorative dentistry and a full spectrum of restorative dental procedures.
