toothbrush

SHAKESPEARE WROTE, “Parting is such sweet sorrow...” But from everyone here at our practice, we can assure you that the sorrow ends the second you start brushing with a new toothbrush.

Take A Look At Your Toothbrush

Your orthodontic work can be especially hard on your toothbrush. Are the bristles starting to look bent, worn, or frayed? Or, are the bristles starting to look like they’re parallel to your teeth instead of perpendicular? If so, it’s time for a new toothbrush. Has somebody else used your toothbrush (gross)? If so, they’ve contaminated it with the bacteria in their mouth — and if you use it, you’ll expose yourself to any disease or sickness they may have. Again, it’s time for a new toothbrush.

The American Dental Association recommends that you replace your toothbrush every 3 to 4 months. Old toothbrushes lose their structural ability to thoroughly clean, and fraying bristles don’t clean well between your teeth or under and around your braces. And as you know, that’s really important during your orthodontic treatment period. Fraying bristles can also be hard on your gums and can even cause damage to them.

Are You Storing Your Toothbrush Correctly?

• Store it upright and keep it out of contact with the bathroom counter.
• Keep it out of contact with other people’s toothbrushes.
• Keep it far away from the toilet splash zone (gross, again).
• Make sure it dries between uses. Toothbrush covers are handy for travel, but at home your toothbrush needs to air dry.

When you get a new toothbrush, keep these tips in mind:

• Get the size that fits in your mouth comfortably and reaches everywhere.
• Hard bristles can wear enamel unnecessarily. Soft bristles are usually better.
• The brand is not as important as your commitment to brushing correctly and regularly. If you have questions about how to do that, visit with our team.

Keep Up Great Oral Hygiene Habits During Your Orthodontic Treatment!

It’s absolutely worth it! And don’t miss your regular checkups. If you ever have any questions about toothbrushes or any other orthodontic or oral health topic, ask us, leave a comment below and we’ll quickly respond, or send us a message on our Facebook page!

Thanks, as always, for your continued trust and friendship. 

AFTER FINISHING LUNCH AT WORK, DO YOU BRUSH YOUR TEETH? A survey reveals that despite knowing that a healthy, attractive smile affects both personal wellness and professional image, very few people are brushing at the office.

The survey, carried out by The Academy of General Dentistry and Oral-B Laboratories, polled more than 1,000 full-time employees about their oral care habits and the importance of a healthy smile at work. Their findings were very interesting.

The Importance Of A Healthy Smile At Work

• 96% of respondents thought a smile was very or somewhat important to a person’s appearance.
• 40% ranked “smile” as the first thing they noticed about a person at work.
• 32% cited “bad breath” as their co-workers’ least attractive trait.

Office Eating And Brushing Stats

• 3/4 of respondents ate twice or more a day at work.
• Only 14% brushed their teeth!

Changing When You Brush

The sugars and starches in the food you eat can cause an “acid attack” on tooth enamel. Even after the visible evidence of food disappears, plaque bacteria continues to grow. If you don’t brush, those workday meals, snacks, and beverages stay on your teeth and can increase the likelihood of tooth decay and gum disease. So brush! Let’s adjust the when of brushing just a bit, to your advantage: brush your teeth after breakfast, after meals at work, and before you go to bed.

Helpful Tips For Brushing At Work

• Leave a toothbrush at work and increase your likelihood of brushing by 65%!
• Step it up at home—the better you brush at home, the better you’ll brush at work.
• Take extra care to clean braces after (and store retainers while) you eat.

Suggestions?

If you already brush your teeth regularly at work, do you have any suggestions to help the rest of us, who may not be as valiant? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook page.

If you would benefit from a new toothbrush to bring with you to work, ask us at Gorczyca Orthodontics about our easy travel oral hygiene kit. Your oral hygiene and dental health is our top priority. It is important to brush after lunch, especially if you have braces, Invisalign, or retainers.

Stay healthy, happy, and brush after lunch.

See you soon at Gorczyca Orthodontics, in Antioch, California. Your smile is our inspiration.

AT GORCZYCA ORTHODONTICS, we love giving our patients something extra-special the day they get their braces on, going above and beyond expectations, and creating a patient experience that will not only be memorable, but also amazing.

We love surprising and delighting our patients and giving them the gift of oral health at the same time. This is why we love the OrthoEssentials Bundle from Crest Oral B.

You will, too!

We Have You Covered With The OrthoEssentials Bundle!

When you get your braces on at Gorczyca Orthodontics, you will receive your very own Oral B electric toothbrush, oral rinse, Crest toothpaste, and floss, as well as floss threaders and proxybrushes in what we call the OrthoEssentials Bundle. With it, you will be ready and have everything you need to achieve oral hygiene excellence.

Getting a new toothbrush feels great. It is also a good reminder to throw your old toothbrush away or to change your electric toothbrush head every three months.

OrthoEssentials comes in a convenient carrying case. Kids' packs come with a cute backpack. Children love it and moms are excited about the enthusiasm created for tooth brushing.

Start Your Ortho Treatment On The Right Track!

You will be smiling from the day you get your braces on to the day you get your braces off at Gorczyca Orthodontics. Dr. Gorczyca and team want your smile to be plaque and cavity free. We can all be sure that your hygiene will be excellent throughout your journey to straight teeth with the Crest Oral B OrthoEseentials Bundle.

Visit today to find out what our Crest Oral B OrthoEssentials program is all about. Call us at 925-757-9000 to schedule your free orthodontic evaluation. Find us at www.clubbraces.com in Antioch, California.

Let us give you something extra-special along with straight teeth, the gift of OrthoEssentials and oral health.

Top image by Flickr user Jon Love used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.