Ask the Experts
Ask the Experts
If you want to know the best product to use for something, ask an expert in that field what they use themselves. Once I needed new tires. I know nothing about tires. I looked at dozens of tires, listened to a young salesman try to inform me about tires, and still being confused I finally asked him, "What kind of tires do you have on your car?". That's how I made my decision.
Teeth and tires are very different, but I thought we might use this same approach with our dental professionals to help you decide how to possibly change your home dental hygiene routine. Doris and Cat, the hygienists of our office, sat down with me to do a brief Q&A of what our favorite products are and how we use them:
Doris, RDH (has been a dental hygienist for 50 years+! Go Doris!)
Daily Routine: After breakfast brush and floss, after lunch floss and rinse, and before bed brush, floss and rinse. Brush for a full 2 minutes each time I brush. At night, I brush an additional time after that on the lower front teeth on the inside (the most common place for plaque accumulation).
Preferred Toothbrush Brand: Either Sonicare or Oral-B.
Preferred Toothpaste Brand: Colgate because I like the taste and sometimes I even put baking soda on the paste for additional cleaning action.
Preferred Floss Brand: Silk Floss because it is biodegradable.
Preferred Rinse Brand: ACT or Listerine with Fluoride.
Cat, RDH
Daily Routine: Brush for 2 minutes twice a day, every day.
Preferred Toothbrush Brand: Sonicare
Preferred Toothpaste Brand: Arm & Hammer; sometimes I will put a dollop of Sensodyne on my brush and use both pastes at once!
Preferred Floss Brand: CocoFloss because the texture is the best!
Preferred Rinse Brand: ACT if I am experiencing sensitivity.
Maryann Lehmann, DDS
Daily Routine: Brush twice a day for 2 minutes each time.
Preferred Toothbrush Brand: Sonicare
Preferred Toothpaste Brand: I brush only with Arm & Hammer toothpaste because I feel that anything else does not leave my teeth feeling clean. Period. I go so far as buying cases of it directly from the company and giving it as Christmas gifts to my family. Sometimes if I am experiencing sensitivity, I follow up brushing at night with a second brushing with prescription toothpaste Fluoridex and do not rinse it off, nothing by mouth either for 30 minutes afterward.
Preferred Floss Brand: CocoFloss because of its smooth texture and width. Once you use this, you won't want to use anything else!
Preferred Rinse Brand: I do not use a rinse.
*And by the way, all of us wear night guards.
So it appears that we all use Sonicare brushes. We don't get them for free, we have to buy them like everyone else. This brush, if used properly, gives your teeth the most effective brushing in 2 minutes you can do. Gently.