Generally speaking, for most adults any toothpaste that features the ADA (American Dental Association) seal of approval is a smart choice! For young children, those with sensitive teeth, etc., there are other considerations to be made, and we’d be happy to discuss them with you during your next visit to our office. In the meantime, you can check out this page over on the ADA website for additional information.

When it comes to choosing a toothbrush, both manual and electric toothbrushes can be effective when used properly. We do recommend choosing a toothbrush with soft bristles; they are equally effective when it comes to cleaning your teeth, yet they are gentler on your teeth and gums, reducing the risk of enamel damage and gum recession.

Simply put, as long as you are both brushing and flossing your teeth your dentist will be happy! The order matters less than the simple fact that you’re doing both on a daily basis. That being said, the perfectionists among us might be interested to know that some recent research shows that flossing before brushing could be marginally more effective than doing things the other way around! Ultimately though, we still believe that this is a matter of preference for our patients.

In the mid-2010s, a handful of articles emerged claiming that there was little to no evidence that flossing was effective. According to these reports, studies that examined the effectiveness of flossing were limited in number and flawed for a variety of reasons.

On one level, none of this is untrue! Most scientific studies on flossing to date have had small sample sizes or short durations, or they’ve relied on self-reported behavior, which isn’t always reliable. However, what’s vitally important to understand is that the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Just because many studies to date haven’t been particularly strong doesn’t mean that flossing doesn’t work; it just means that flossing is inherently difficult to study well.

The overwhelming consensus among dental professionals is that flossing is an important part of one’s oral-hygiene routine, and although some additional studies would be great, there is plenty of scientific evidence that flossing is effective. Simply put, we strongly suggest that you don’t toss the floss!

Believe it or not, this is 100% true. Poor oral hygiene can result in complications such as tooth decay and gum disease, infections that can then go on to spread throughout the body. Poor oral health has been linked to heart disease, respiratory issues, and even pregnancy complications such as premature birth and low birth weight.

On the flip side of things, certain systemic health issues can also lead to oral health problems, such as diabetes contributing to gum disease. To sum things up, oral health and overall, systemic health are much more closely related than many people imagine. So think about it like this—when you take care of your oral health, you’re really taking care of your whole body!