Toothsavers app to the rescue!

Check out this great free app for getting kids to brush their teeth!

Save the fairy tale kingdom with your toothbrush!

An evil sorceress has cast a wicked spell, leaving everyone’s mouths to rot and be overrun by cavities. Now it's up to you to help Toothy and the Toothsavers save everyone's teeth!

You’ll have two minutes to brush and scrub away the spell for each of the kingdom’s quirky inhabitants. From the Dragon to Little Red Riding Hood to the Pirate, only you can help them clean their teeth.

Save your own teeth by brushing them with each Toothsaver for two minutes, twice a day. They’ll help make brushing fun. And for every few days you brush, you'll unlock a new Toothsaver to brush with. Brush for 30 days and you’ll have the chance to defeat the evil sorceress herself!

And be sure to brush your friends’ and family’s teeth using the two-player Toothsaver mode. Keep your whole family clean with Toothsavers!

You can find more info @ http://2min2x.org/toothsavers/

Have you seen the toothbrush apps?

There really is an app for everything.  These new apps will play music from your playlist for the amount of time to brush, remind you to spit and floss.  They even have a system to set up reminders for your dental appointment.  But.....do they help?  Read more below.
http://www.idigitaltimes.com/do-dental-smartphone-apps-work-new-study-finds-brush-dj-be-effective-471444

What the average that the Tooth Fairy brings?

"I remember getting 50 cents."  I say.  But that doesn't satisfy most kids these days.  There was an article recently written about Tooth Fairy inflation.  They claim that the average is $3.70 a tooth.  I don't know if that is New York or San Francisco dollars or an average nationwide though.  I can tell you that most parents of my patients report the Tooth Fairy leaves about $2.  Some say $5.  One told me the Tooth Fairy left $20 once.  (But that was a pre-arranged deal brokered by a really sharp 7-year-old!)

How do I get my kids to brush?

When my son Roger was born, I was ready to put into practice all the home techniques I’d learned as a student of dentistry.  It turned out that things don’t always go as the textbooks tell us! 

We would “brush” his gums with a washcloth to get him used to the motion with the goal of easier brushing later.   And when he finally got teeth, we brushed first without and then with kid’s toothpaste.   It was a real struggle for a while.  There was thrashing and wiggling, stalling and crying, and a lot of general unhappiness when the time came to brush his teeth.  But eventually we developed a system.  I’d sing a toothbrushing song (ours is Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, if you know that one) and he’d reluctantly let me brush his teeth.  

Now, with his 5^th birthday in 2 weeks, we’ve developed a healthy habit.  He brushes his teeth first and I follow.  I’ve been letting him do more and more of the brushing, and I’m doing less and less.  I remind him of the places that he missed just while I’m sitting on the tub watching him.   

I can’t say that it’s been easy.  And I simply want to remind all you parents that I know its tough.  Sometimes dentists seem like they are talking to you from high on a mountaintop.  Like we know all and you will obey!  I’ve found what it really it comes down to is persistence and a commitment to oral hygiene.  That matters much more than technique.  That matters much more than what brand of toothpaste or manual verses electric toothbrushes. 

Oh and now we are starting again with my 1 year old, Lila!

Why is it such a big deal to make your dental appointments?

It is not just to keep you coming back!  We schedule your dental appointments for treatment to make sure we have the correct amount of time allotted for you to be able to provide you the best care and our undivided attention. This is the same with your recall hygiene appointments this exact amount of time allows Kala and Dr. Guilford to provide all procedures needed during that appointment with the best care and thoroughness, keeping this exact schedule allows our office to stay on schedule and run on time cutting down your wait time in the waiting room!

The importance of maintaining your treatment appointments is to keep the decay at its smallest occurrence as possible to avoid more costly procedures in the future.  The same is held true for your hygiene appointments if you maintain your regular interval suggested by Kala you will have a better chance of keeping a healthy smile. Nearly 80% of all adults have some form of either periodontal disease or gingivitis, and completing your regular recall appointments helps to minimize your chances of occurrence.  Also keeping to your suggested recall interval helps to keep you cavity free and need less actual dental treatment!!

We value you, the patient, and want to help in all ways possible to give you the best care and chance of maintaining a healthy smile. 

Why the different brand of toothpaste?

Hi, this is Kala, your hygienist at Toothbrusher's Dental.  If you have recently visited the office you may have noticed we switched from Crest products to Colgate. 

An issue with Crest’s toothpaste recently came to light.  Most Crest toothpaste has tiny blue plastic beads.  Though it seemed natural to assume that they were for abrasive proposes, those beads don’t really serve a purpose - except to make the toothpaste have tiny blue specks.  The problem is the beads are so small, they can get caught in patient’s gums and have the potential to cause irritation. 

So far, Crest hasn't resolved the issue, so in the interest of our patients we found a company that didn't put the plastic beads in their toothpaste - Colgate.  Colgate is a wonderful, long-standing brand that has a multitude of options between brushes and toothpaste. 

Personally speaking, the new Colgate mouthwash is my favorite and the options for various toothpastes are great too!  They have both paste and gel toothpastes for everyone’s personal preference. 

Please feel free to ask Kala any of your questions about our switch at your next visit!

If a root canal takes out the nerve, why does it hurt after?

This is one of those counterintuitive ones.  Yes, we do remove the nerve (pulp) of the tooth in order to do a root canal.  But that’s not the only thing that has to heal.  Usually the little ligaments (periodontal ligaments) that hold the tooth to the bone and gingiva are inflamed as well as the pulp of the tooth.  When a dentist performs a root canal, often times some of the sealer material or part of the instrument will journey past the end (apex) of the nerve chamber….we’re talking millimeters here folks, after all… and this can cause continued inflammation as well. 

Another common problem is the tooth is working too hard.  If the situation permits, I will always reduce the amount of force (occlusion) that the tooth is receiving from the opposing tooth, while it is healing.  While its not always a possibility, you should always try to rest the tooth as much as possible after a root canal.

So, it is true that sometimes, despite all your and our efforts, things just go wrong.  Roots can fracture and infections can persist even with the best oral care and antibiotic treatment.  If after a period of time, the tooth still feels pain it may be necessary to retreat or reevaluate by either your dentist or a root canal specialist, an endodontist.

Thanks for all your questions and keep them coming.  For appointment information or even general questions regarding your care, feel free to contact us at Toothbrusher’s Dental (405) 789-6935 or info@toothbrushers.com.