Dentist gives 8 answers to the most common questions about dental care

“Hello, everyone! My name is Marina, and I’m a dentist. I coordinate an Internet channel where I talk about my professional routine. In my work, I receive many questions from patients, and most of them are very similar to each other: how to choose the right toothpaste, how to get a whiter smile and how to beat cavities once and for all are among these frequently asked questions.

especially for the awesome.club, I will talk in detail about the most common doubts and debunk popular myths about dental care. But this post does not replace a dentist appointment and is not scientific, but informative.

“Nice to meet! I’m Marina, your dentist”

Almost everyone is afraid of going to the dentist, and this is normal. After all, during the treatment, the professional ends up invading an intimate space (your mouth), and all the work is done directly in your oral cavity. And it’s obvious that it scares. There are some useful tips for this case:

The most important: don’t wait until you feel some kind of sharp pain! When the tooth is already ‘diseased’, the anesthesia will have a lesser effect, you will be more nervous and the procedure will take much longer. Avoid taking strong tranquilizers, coffee and energizing drinks before the appointment, as they can interact with the anesthesia (strengthening or decreasing its effect). Try to calm down without the help of any medication. If you’re really nervous, have some herbal tea before going to the dentist. It may sound silly, but drinking really helps many patients calm down. AND under no circumstances drink alcohol: anesthesia can lose its effect, not to mention the complications that can arise. And be sure to let the dentist know if you are taking any medication. If possible, it’s best to meet the dentist first🇧🇷 Make an appointment in advance to work out a treatment plan. That way, next time, you’ll feel more comfortable.
Treatment should start from the simplest to the most complex. The most recommended thing is to start with a cleaning, followed by care for small cavities, leaving root canal treatment and extractions last (this is why you shouldn’t wait for a sharp pain to appear). With this, you get used to the dentist and the office environment. Gradually, it will become easier to tolerate the more serious procedures.
Try to schedule the appointment with the professional in the morning. That way, you’ll be more relaxed and you won’t even have time to worry. Also, during the night, the sensation of pain increases slightly. Not to mention that, at the end of the day, the dentist is usually more tired. Oh, and if possible, take time off work on the day of the appointment.

In summary, the mechanism of caries formation is as follows: first, an acidic environment is formed (the cause may be bacteria present in the plaque that produce acids, or food products with an acidic pH). The acidic environment damages the enamel of the teeth, damaging its structure. Gradually, a hole or cavity appears in the enamel, which gets deeper and deeper. As a result, the enamel is gradually being destroyed.

The problem can be tackled in the following way:

taking care of teeth, remineralizing the enamel. Enamel minerals can be replaced at home, with the use of specific products. Ask your dentist for referrals.
Not allowing the teeth to remain in an acidic environment for a long time. If you ate something sweet or had a glass of soda during dinner, rinse your mouth with mouthwash. Or at least have a glass of water.
Avoiding sodas, juices and other similar drinks after brushing your teeth before bed. At night, we produce practically no saliva, which means that your mouth will undergo a process of enamel demineralization for about 8 hours straight. After brushing your teeth at night, drink only water.

Brush your teeth with a medium brush 2 times a day for at least 3 minutes (Soft bristle brushes are best suited for people with sensitive teeth). It is important to clean each tooth from all sides, in a top-down motion. O Most common mistake is brushing your teeth from right to left. With this technique, the plaque and bacteria will end up getting deeper into the gums and between the teeth. If you have a crown/implant system, it is recommended to use an irrigator and special brushes for more complete hygiene.
You need to see a dentist for a preventive check-up every 6 months and professional cleaning. Even if you brush your teeth properly, there are some hard-to-reach areas that only your dentist can clean. During the consultation, it is also possible to identify problems as soon as they appear, facilitating and speeding up treatment.
Don’t forget to change your toothbrush every 2 or 3 months. The old toothbrush should also be replaced with a new one after professional cleaning by the dentist. Your brush should also be changed in case of a cold or bronchitis. As for electric toothbrushes, they can motivate some people to brush their teeth more often, but conventional toothbrushes work just as well. They just require a little more effort.

The main thing when brushing your teeth is to apply the correct technique. If it takes you just 30 seconds to brush, even the most expensive toothpaste won’t help.

If you have no problems with your teeth (hypersensitivity, bleeding gums, etc.), you can use any toothpaste (except abrasive ones). If you are concerned about a particular problem, consult your dentist and ask him to indicate the ideal paste to solve the situation. By choosing a folder on your own, you run the risk of spending your money wrongly.

You also need to pay attention to the concentration of fluoride in the water in your region.: the ideal value is 0.7 to 1.2 mg/l. If it’s smaller, use a fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride is the only substance that can actually prevent tooth decay, and this has been confirmed after years of studies. On the other hand, many scientific articles claim that the substance is dangerous. Fluoride is indeed toxic, but it all depends on the concentration, just like all other medicines. To date, no study has confirmed the existence of harm caused by fluorides for preventive purposes.

There is a thing called RDA: toothpaste abrasiveness index🇧🇷 It ranges from 0 to 220. If the package says the product ‘whitens’, the RDA level is likely to be over 70, ie the paste contains too many abrasive particles. For your teeth, this is like sandpapering a wall. That’s why this type of paste usually warns that it is not suitable for daily use. If your teeth aren’t sensitive and don’t have problems, and if you’re a tea and coffee fan, you can periodically use a high RDA toothpaste.

For sensitive teeth, the ideal is to bet on pastes with a very low RDA (between 20 and 40). Don’t forget that tooth whitening is done by removing the layer affected by tea, coffee and cigarettes. Using common whitening pastes, you will get your natural tooth color, which in everyone is yellowish. It is only possible to whiten teeth in various shades in the dentist’s office or with a specific whitener indicated by the dentist and used at home. But be careful to choose the color you want carefully: a smile that is too white and unnatural is ugly, contrasting too much with the color of the eyeballs.

Fissures are natural grooves on the surface of molars. Its shape facilitates the accumulation of food particles and the reproduction of cariogenic bacteria. Therefore, it is in them that, in most cases, the formation of cavities begins.

In dentistry, it is common to seal fissures to prevent the development of cavities in this region.🇧🇷 They go through a cleaning process (if necessary), are opened and receive a special sealant. As a result, bacteria do not get trapped and do not multiply in that area. Fissure sealing can be done at any age, both children and adults. In some countries, the procedure is covered by the public health system.

Before and after lens placement

The so-called dental contact lenses are ceramic plates that come to occupy the role of the outer layer of the tooth (the enamel). With this, they can correct shape and color. In a way, they can be compared to false nails: they are thin, transparent plates that are adhered to the surface, changing the color and shape of the teeth. If your dentist is a good professional, the layer of enamel that will be removed during the work for implanting the lenses will not exceed 0.5-0.7 mm, which is insignificant and does not affect the teeth negatively.

In which cases dental contact lenses are useful:

If there are large spaces between the teeth; If your teeth are not evenly colored and difficult to whiten; For those who don’t like the shape of their teeth (for example, want more square or rounded edges).

Dental contact lenses can crack under pressure, so they are contraindicated in cases of bruxism (grinding your teeth during sleep, habit of compressing the jaws in stressful situations, etc.). It is also not recommended to place contact lenses on the teeth in cases of absence of at least one molar (not counting the wisdom). The fact is that the lenses cannot withstand pressure, and the lack of a fixed height of occlusion (which is only possible with all groups of teeth in the mouth) means that all the force is applied to the front teeth.

Therefore, before thinking about putting contact lenses on your teeth, you need to solve any and all problems with the molars, restore the function of chewing and only then think about aesthetics.

If you have a tooth extracted, I recommend not delaying the placement of a denture. Some patients prefer not to treat the tooth and extract it, thinking about saving money. After all, “it’s in the back, no one will see it, I don’t need an implant, it’s too expensive”. Below I explain what the consequences of this decision could be.

Over time, adjacent teeth move, closing space for placement of a crown or implant. The top tooth occupies the empty space and moves down. The patient will then need…