What oral hygiene products should I be using?

WHAT ORAL HYGIENE PRODUCT SHOULD I USE?

Have you ever been confused about what oral care product to use because there are just so many? Dentistry has advanced rapidly over the last  few years and with it has come advancements in products. You will now be able to find oral care products to suite about just any of your dental needs, but gauging what product is right for you can sometimes be hard. Hence, below is a list of the common oral care products available in the market and its features to help you decide what is best for your oral health.

Toothbrush:

Electric Toothbrush Brush

- Built in timer.
- Pressure sensor.
- Oscillating head hence does the right brushing technique for you.
- Less technique sensitive.
- Great for people with limited dexterity.
- Need to be careful to not leave on teeth for too long or to put too much pressure on teeth if toothbrush does not have built-in pressure sensor and timer; it can damage teeth and gums.

Manual Toothbrush

- You need to use the right brushing technique; there are at least 5 different types of brushing techniques!
- Available in soft, medium and hard; always use a soft toothbrush.
- Collis curve toothbrush is especially great for special needs patients and patients with limited dexterity. The curved bristles wrap around the sides of the tooth whilst going on the top hence, cleaning 3 surfaces at the same time. The angled bristles curve to the gumline therefore, allowing effective plaque removal.

Brushing tips:

-  Change your toothbrush at least every 3 months.
-  Spit don’t rinse after night time brushing; do not rinse mouth with water after brushing.

Floss/Interdental Aid:

String floss

- Available as waxed and unwaxed. Waxed string floss is gentler on the gums as it glides between the teeth easily and does not cause trauma to the gums unlike unwaxed floss, which sometimes can be harsh on gums if not used right.
- Great for tight contact points (teeth that are crowded or very tightly aligned).
- Curves to the shape of the teeth hence, removing food and plaque from the nook and crannies.

Floss pick

- Unlike the string floss, this does not necessarily get into the nook and crannies as the string does not curve; it is rather taut and has the straight-in-and-out motion.
- Good for use on the go or if you are feeling lazy to use a string floss.

Tepe brush

- Best and especially recommended for patients with advanced gum disease (periodontitis).
- Effective for open spaces between teeth.
- Great for patients with limited dexterity, implants, bridges, braces, wire retainers.
- Needs to be custom to your teeth; your hygienist/dentist will advise you of the correct size for your gums as too small of a size will not provide effective clean, and too big of a size may cause trauma to your gums. 
- Reusable; dispose once the brush becomes frayed.

Tepe tuft toothbrush

- Precision cleaning.
- Great for use around hard-to-reach areas. Especially excellent for use around implants, attachments for dentures, braces.

Superfloss

- Has a stiffened end, which easily threads between teeth (think of a needle and thread!), and yarn mid area to allow for a thorough clean.
- Ideal for use around braces, wire retainer, bridges.

Water floss

- Works like a water blaster but gentler on teeth and gums!
- Pulsating motion of water emitted from the jet aids in thorough removal of bacteria, food and plaque from between your teeth as well as under your gumlines hence providing a full mouth clean.
- Ideal for general use and safe for use around bridges, orthodontic appliances, denture, implants, crowns etc.
- Especially good for patients with advanced gum disease (periodontitis) as the water targets area up to 4mm under your gumline!
- Ideal for patients with limited dexterity. 
- Proven to be 50% more effective than string flossing.

Tongue Cleaner
                                        

- Used to remove tongue coating.
- 75% more effective in removing bad breath causing bacteria (Volatile Sulphur Compounds) than using bristles of a toothbrush which removes VSC by 45%.

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