BRUSHING
Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and a small strip of fluoride toothpaste, unless the child is under the age of 3. If a child is younger than age 3, parents should clean their child’s teeth with water and a soft-bristled toothbrush. After age 3, parents should supervise brushing. Use no more than a pea-sized amount of toothpaste and make sure children do not swallow excess toothpaste.
When you brush your teeth, move the brush in small circular motions to reach food particles that may be under your gum line. Hold the toothbrush at an angle and brush slowly and carefully, covering all areas between teeth and the surface of each tooth. It will take you several minutes to thoroughly brush your teeth. Brush up on the lower teeth, down on the upper teeth and the outside, inside and chewing surface of all of your front and back teeth. Brush your tongue and the roof of your mouth before you rinse.
Brush your teeth four times daily to avoid the accumulation of food particles and plaque:
- In the morning after breakfast
- After lunch or right after school
- After dinner
- At bedtime
As soon as the bristles start to wear down or fray, replace your toothbrush with a new one. Do not swallow any toothpaste; rinse your mouth thoroughly with water after you finish brushing. It is important to carefully floss and brush daily for optimal oral hygiene.
FLOSSING
For areas between the teeth that a toothbrush can’t reach, dental floss is used to remove food particles and plaque. Dental floss is a thin thread of waxed nylon that is used to reach below the gum line and clean between teeth. It is very important to floss between your teeth every day.
Pull a small length of floss from the dispenser. Wrap the ends of the floss tightly around your middle fingers. Guide the floss between all teeth to the gum line, pulling out any food particles or plaque. Unwrap clean floss from around your fingers as you go, so that you have used the floss from beginning to end when you finish. Floss behind all of your back teeth.
Floss at night to make sure your teeth are squeaky clean before you go to bed. When you first begin flossing, your gums may bleed a little. If the bleeding does not go away after the first few times, let a staff member know at your next appointment.
Xylitol-What is it and how can it help me?
Xylitol (zi-le-tol) is a naturally occuring 5-carbon sugar alcohol found in many fruits and vegetables like plums, corn, raspberries and strawberries. It is even made in small amounts in the human body! Commercially it is produced from Birch trees, sugar cane bagasse (the fiber that remains after the sugar has been removed) and corn cobs. It is nearly as sweet as sugar and has less than 40% of the calories of sugar.
Xylitol is clinically proven to decrease cavities. How does it work?
- Inhibits the growth of Streptococcus mutans, the most common cause of plaque and cavities. People who chewed on gum with xylitol after meals has far fewer cavity-causing bacteria in their mouths 5 minutes afterwards, compared to gum sweetened with sorbitol or people who did not chew gum at all. Researchers have also found that mothers who chew xylitol gum are less likely to transmit cavity causing bacteria to their children. After 5 years, the children had 70% less tooth decay than their peers. (Mothers chewed xylitol gum from before birth til their children were 2 years old.)
- Decreases the production of acid in the mouth. Xylitol is an unfermentable sugar, which means the bacteria ware unable to break it down and produce lactic acid that can soften tooth enamel.
- Decreases plaque formation and makes plaque less sticky. Xylitol decreases the levels of S. mutans resulting in less plaque. In addition, it promotes the formation complex carbohydrate chains that cause plaque to become less adhesive. In other words, the plaque that forms is easier to remove. Zylitol also promotes nitrogen metabolism in plaque, producing ammonia. Higher levels of ammonia are associated with lower levels of plaque.
- Enhances remineralization (hardening) of weaken areas of enamel. Demineralized enamel immersed in a xylitol solution showed improved calcification.
- Stimulates the saliva like other sweet carbohydrates. This is your body's natural mechanism to protect your teeth.
Another benefit. It can reduce ear infections! Xylitol inhibits the growth of Streptococcus pneumonia, the most common bacterial cause of ear infections in children. When given to children with recurrent ear infections, xylitol reduces the occurrence of new ear infections by 40%.
How much do I need? It is reported that you need 4-8 grams of xylitol per day to be effective. Higher does do not have any additional benefit. We recommend that you chew 1-2 grams of xylitol gum for 5 minutes, 3-5 times per day after meals and snacks.
Can I use any commercially available gum that contains Xylitol? Many brands of gum that contain xylitol do not contain very much of it (it is often low on the ingredient list). This means that one piece of gum contains less than 0.17 grams of xylitol. You would need to chew a lot of gum to get the recommended dose!
Does xylitol have any side effects? Used in moderation, most people do not experience any side effects. Since xylitol does not ferment, it causes less GI symptoms than other sugar alcohols (sorbitol, mannitol, etc.) In large amounts (in excess of 40 grams per day), people have experienced diarrhea and stomach pain. These effects will decrease over time and you can even become accustomed to consuming this large of a dose.
Is xylitol safe for children? Xylitol has been approved for use by people of all ages. The benefit of decreased dental cavities is most significant in children.
Is xylitol safe for pets? It would be nice if our pets could have the same benefits from xylitol that we do. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Animals have different metabolism from humans and it is not safe to give them xylitol. Dogs are expecially prone to developing vomiting and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). If you think that your pet may have consumed Xylitol, you should contact your vet immediately.
Can xylitol replace brushing? Nothing is as good at preventing tooth decay as brushing well with fluoride toothpaste and flossing. However, in situations where you are unable to brush, you will benefit from chewing xylitol gum. It has been used in daycare settings where there is a concern about spreading infection from inadequately supervised brushing (for example, sharing toothbruses). The military noticed that soldiers in the field has higher levels of tooth decay which can be attributed to suboptimal oral hygiene. They have approved replacing all gum provided in field rations (MREs) with xylitol gum.
We are happy to provide our patients with great tasing, sugar free, gluten free, soy free, dairy free B-Fresh gum that contains 0.8-1.7 grams of xylitol per serving. We carry many flavors including mint, fruit, lemon, melon, cinnamon and bubble gum at reasonable prices. Stop by our office or call us to get yours now.