Category: Dental Hygiene

Do you use an electric toothbrush or do you stick with the manual kind? If you haven’t tried an electric toothbrush, you may be wondering whether the extra expense is worth it in the long run. Truthfully, there can be some pros and cons to each type of toothbrush, and the experts agree. So what does your dentist in Holland recommend? Let’s find out. 

Examining the Experts’ Opinions

Truth be told, it appears that the official word on whether an electric toothbrush is better than a manual toothbrush is still in debate. There have been numerous studies on the matter, and the results can vary. The American Dental Association (ADA) has stated that both electric and manual toothbrushes remove plaque and bacteria from teeth, as long as you use a proper brushing technique. In fact, they’ve said that the technique is more important than the tool. Now, another survey published by the Journal of the American Dental Association found that 13,000 out 16,000 patients who used an electric toothbrush for the duration of the study reported better oral health. 

Electric May Be Better For Some

Since we mentioned that technique is more important than the tool, we want to talk about those who may benefit from an electric toothbrush over a manual toothbrush. Those who have trouble holding onto a toothbrush and manipulating it to scrub all parts of the mouth and teeth can absolutely see improvement in oral health by switching to an electric toothbrush. Some of these patients can include kids, those with arthritis, or people who have braces. 

A Look at The Pros & Cons

As with most things, there are some pros and cons of using an electric toothbrush over a manual brush. 

Pros

• Easy to use
• Most have timers to make sure you brush long enough
• Some may feel that their teeth are cleaner

Cons

• More expensive
• Requires charging
• Difficult to travel with

So, after all of that, does your dentist in Holland  recommend an electric toothbrush? Truthfully, your dental team will recommend any toothbrush that you will use every day and use properly. If you find that you’re in more control with a manual toothbrush and your lifestyle isn’t conducive to an electric toothbrush, make sure you select a manual toothbrush with soft bristles, hold it at a 45-degree angle, gently scrub each tooth in circles, and brush for two minutes. If you prefer an electric toothbrush, the same guidance applies. 

Your dentist in Holland  and your dental hygienist can help you pick the best toothbrush for you. Ask them about it at your next appointment. 

Your dental insurance policy probably has a limited amount of time until it expires, which means you’re going to want to make sure you use your benefits with your dentist in Holland before they’re gone forever. Each insurance has different time frames for when the policies expire, so make sure you check with your plan. Oftentimes, dental benefits expire at the end of each year and reset on January 1st of the following year, and if you didn’t use everything allotted to you, you lose it! 

Maximums Reset

Every dental insurance provides a yearly maximum of how much the insurance company will cover in 12 months. Usually, maximums range from $1,000 to $1,500 a year. However, if you don’t use that money, it will disappear at the end of the year. There’s no rolling over unused maximums, so make sure you use all that your plan has to offer. 

Deductibles Start Over

If your insurance plan requires a deductible, and you’ve met that deductible, there are benefits waiting for you to take advantage of. You see, some insurances require you to pay a certain dollar amount upfront before they’ll start to cover your care. But if you’ve already paid up to that amount and don’t use the coverage, you’re not using the benefits you probably paid for. 

Dental Prevention Saves Money

Your dentist in Holland will often hear patients say that they’re holding on to their dental benefits in case something happens. They are basically treating the benefits as a safety net. While, of course, it’s your choice to use your insurance as you wish, we often find that people who get regular dental checkups can use their benefits more wisely, or on things such as cosmetic dentistry. After all, preventing problems from popping up in the first place, or catching them early can make treatment quicker, easier, and cheaper.

It’s Money You Earned

If your dental insurance is through your employer, think of it this way — it’s part of your salary. After all, you’re probably paying into the insurance each and every paycheck. But if you don’t use your dental benefits, you’re not maximizing all of your hard-earned money. Even if you pay for dental insurance on your own and not through your employer, you should use the benefits provided to get the most out of your investment. 

Call your dentist in Holland today to discuss your end-of-the-year benefits status with our staff and also to answer any questions you may have about our services.

Your dentist in Holland is a key part of your healthcare team, and while we’re dedicated to protecting teeth, we know that there’s a strong connection between oral health and overall health. In fact, when we talk about good oral health, we need to look beyond the bathroom sink and look towards the kitchen. After all, what we eat affects our teeth. 

National Nutrition Month

Every March is recognized as National Nutrition Month. Sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, its purpose is to raise awareness of how healthy eating and proper nutrition can impact overall health. While eating a well-balanced diet may seem simple, the truth is many Americans don’t eat enough of what they should. Why could that be? 

As it turns out, nutrition is complicated. It’s not as easy as eating your vegetables and avoiding high-fat foods, though that’s part of it. Nutrition can be so confusing that even the Food Guide Pyramid created by the USDA changed twice since it was first developed in 1992. What scientists and healthcare professionals have found out is that different people have different dietary needs. This is one reason why MyPlate was developed and why National Nutrition Month exists. 

But what does all of this have to do with your dentist in Holland?  

What We Eat Affects Our Teeth

Even though the MyPlate recommendations are focused on fueling our bodies with the nutrients we need to stay healthy and protect us from whole-body health problems, similar recommendations can also help protect your teeth. You may even be able to find foods that pack a double punch in protecting your teeth and your body at the same time. Some foods that your dentist recommends include: 

• Delectable Dairy – Diary foods and drinks such as milk, cheese, and yogurt provide us with bone-protecting (and teeth-strengthening) calcium and vitamin D. 
• Crunchy Carrots – Raw, crunchy vegetables such as carrots and celery are loaded with vitamins our bodies need and they can gently clean teeth. 
• Mouth-Watering Meats – Lean meats and fatty fish are phosphorus-rich foods that help strengthen tooth enamel.
• Wonderful Water – Water helps wash away bacteria and neutralize acids in the mouth, further protecting against decay. 

The Danger of Sugar & Carbs

Two of the types of foods that increase the chance for decay are sugary sweets and carbohydrate-rich foods. Sugars feed mouth bacteria which increases the presence of acid. This acid wears away tooth enamel, bacteria settle in, and cavities develop. Carbs are similar even though they aren’t sweet. When carbs are digested, they break down into simple sugars. These sugars also feed bacteria, increase acids as a result, and can damage enamel. 

Fueling your body with the foods it needs to function properly can protect you against developing some health concerns such as heart disease. Eating a well-balanced diet can also protect your teeth against decay. So when you’re shopping for snacks for planning family meals, stick to nutritious, body-friendly, and smile-friendly options. 

Over the past several months, seeing facemasks everywhere we go has become the norm. For the foreseeable future, these facemasks will continue to be a part of our lives to help stop the spread of COVID-19. But this change in our daily routines can have a side effect that directly involves your dentist in Holland. 

*Up First: A Disclaimer 

Even though there are potential ways a mask can affect your oral health, we want to be clear that the following information doesn’t outweigh the importance of continuing to wear a mask in public places. Please continue to wear your mask and use the tips provided to reduce or eliminate the potential risks we discuss below. 

Breathing With a Mask

As many of us probably realize by now, we tend to breathe differently while wearing a mask than we do without one. While the mask itself is not to blame for this but rather a change in our habits, it’s important to recognize that changing the way we breathe can affect your oral health. Many people can become mouth breathers while wearing a mask, and while breathing out of our mouths instead of our noses may feel more comfortable, there are some things your dentist in Holland wants you to know about mouth breathing.  

Problems With Mouth Breathing 

If you take a few deep breaths in and out of your mouth instead of your nose, notice what happens. Your mouth will probably feel a bit uncomfortable, a little bit dry, and you’ll probably feel like you need a drink. This is appropriately known as dry mouth. Dry mouth occurs when there’s not enough saliva in your mouth to keep it moist. It can happen from mouth breathing or even as a result of some medications. Not only is dry mouth uncomfortable, but it can also cause some oral health problems such as: 

Bad Breath

Little to no saliva means that bacteria are allowed to linger around in the mouth. These bacteria will feed on anything they can find and release an acidic, bad-smelling byproduct. The result? You guessed it — bad breath. 

Cavities

Without saliva, we know that bacteria are left behind to wreak havoc on our breath, but your dentist in Holland also knows that a lack of saliva also means a greater risk for cavities. Saliva not only helps wash away bad breath bacteria, but it also helps neutralize acids that, if left alone, could cause cavities. 

Tips to Reduce Dry Mouth Risks

Even though dry mouth can increase the likelihood of bad breath or developing cavities, there are easy things you can do to prevent or limit the effects of dry mouth. 

• Drink Water. We should all be drinking plenty of water every day anyway, but we should definitely be drinking more now, especially if you find yourself mouth breathing through your mask. Keeping your mouth hydrated can combat that dry mouth feeling and the potential risks that come along with it. 
• Suck on Hard Candy. Yes, your dentist in Holland is telling you to indulge and have some candy. However, there is a catch. Not just any candy will do. Make sure it’s sugar-free candy or gum containing Xylitol. Chewing or sucking on these can stimulate saliva production and keep dry mouth at bay. 
• Brush Your Teeth. While brushing your teeth (and flossing them!) regularly won’t necessarily help combat dry mouth, it will help remove bacteria buildup and lower the risk of cavities. 

If you’re experiencing the discomfort of dry mouth, we welcome you to call our dental office to schedule an appointment with us today. We’ll be happy to help you find relief. 

Your dentist in Holland will often ask you things about your overall health as well as your habits, and with good reason. But there are times when patients aren’t comfortable sharing some aspects of their life with their dental team and instead try to keep these things a secret. However, we have a secret of our own — we most likely already know your secrets. 

There are some things your dentist can tell you about you just from looking at your teeth, even if you don’t volunteer that information with them. Let’s take a look at some of the things your dentist in Holland may notice about you and your habits. 

• You’re a Nail Biter

Why would your dentist care if you nervously or habitually bite your nails? Well, nail biters often have tiny chips or cracks in their teeth that may be invisible to the naked eye but can show up on dental x-rays. These cracks provide a great place for bacteria to nestle in and increase the likelihood of decay. Nail biters may also suffer from TMD or TMJ thanks to changes in their bite. TMD/TMJ disorder can be a painful condition that may also lead to headaches and increased jaw pain or jaw clicking. 

• You’re a Smoker

One of the most common habits patients try to hide is being a smoker. They’ll use perfume, mints, mouthwash, and everything in between to try and cover up the smell of cigarettes. But the truth is, your dentist in Holland can probably still tell that you smoke. You see, cigarette smoke doesn’t just disappear. In fact, the smell can seep into the soft tissues of your mouth and linger around long after you light up. Additionally, smokers tend to have telltale tooth staining as a result of the nicotine.  

• You Don’t Floss as Much as You Should

We know that you don’t like to floss, nobody does. But it is incredibly important that you do your best to floss every day. If you don’t, and you save your annual flossing session to the day before or the day of your appointment, we’ll know. Patients who avoid flossing often have swollen, red gums that bleed almost as soon as their appointment begins. Bleeding gums are unhealthy gums and may be a sign of gum disease. 

• You Don’t Brush Often Enough

Similarly to flossing, your dental team will also be able to tell if you don’t brush your teeth often enough or even if you brush too hard. Those who don’t brush the recommended two times a day will often have larger areas of tartar buildup and puffy, red gums. Additionally, if you brush too hard you may have gum recession or worn enamel which can cause tooth sensitivity and increase your chances of cavities. 

We encourage you to always be honest with your dentist in Holland and every member of your healthcare team. If we don’t know about certain things that can affect both your health and your treatment, you won’t get the best care possible for you. We understand that some things may be embarrassing to share, but it’s important to know that your dental team is only here to help you, not to judge you.