6 Myths About Teeth

Unless you’re a dentist or orthodontist, you probably know very little about your teeth besides what experts recommend and whatever’s in the new. However, how much of that is complete truth? We’re here to demystify some of these myths you’ve heard about your teeth!

1 Sugar Causes Cavities

While it’s true that sugar causes cavities, it’s not the only thing! Any kind of carb that you eat can cause your mouth to create the acidic environment necessary to grow a cavity. This means that chocolate bar is just as likely to cause a cavity as that stalk of celery.

2 Whitening Makes Teeth Brittle

Yes, whitening your teeth isn’t always the best idea - especially if you already have weak enamel or sensitive teeth and gums. However, it will not cause your teeth to weaken. If you whiten your teeth you have the same chance of cracking them as an obvious three cup a day coffee drinker.

3 Aging Causes Tooth Loss

Your Grandma may have a set of dentures, but that doesn’t mean you will! While seniors tend to have more special needs when it comes to their teeth, there is no reason why they shouldn’t be able to keep their full set well into their golden years. Proper dental health makes all the difference.

4 Brush Immediately After Eating

Yes, you do need to brush your teeth after eating a meal. However, brushing right away is likely not the best idea. Your tooth enamel softens after eating to allow your saliva to do it’s job, dissolving food particles. Waiting about an hour or so after a meal will ensure that you don’t brush away an enamel in the process.

5 Kids Are Cavity Prone

Actually, seniors are more cavity prone than kids! This typically has to do with various medications that cause dry mouth. Less saliva generally means more cavities. This is why good dental health practices throughout your lifetime are so important.

6 You’re Too Old For Braces

This is majorly false! While your teeth and gums may have changed over time, you’re never too old for braces! In fact, Dr. Reed would be more than happy to consult with you to figure out which orthodontic solution is best for you.

Get the perfect smile you’ve always wanted, and learn how to properly take care of your teeth. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Reed today!

Turkey Day Teeth Tips

With the smell of turkey in the air, pies being baked, mashed potatoes on the stove, and green bean casserole just waiting to be served, it must be Thanksgiving. Soon, families will gather around a table and enjoy a meal giving thanks for all of the good things in their lives.

One thing you might be giving thanks for this year, especially if you’ve just completed treatment with Dr. Reed, is a beautiful, straight, pearly-white smile. Did you know that the Thanksgiving feast you’re about to consume is actually pretty good for your teeth? Yes, it’s true! Here’s why you shouldn’t skip out on the turkey, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie this Turkey Day.

Turkey

Turkey is filled with an incredible amount of goodness! The most known component in turkey is tryptophan - the stuff that makes you sleepy. However, tryptophan also boosts your immune system. This is good for your teeth because a boosted immune system will help fight off any potential oral infections. Turkey is also filled with protein. Protein mixed with some other components in your Thanksgiving meal helps build strong teeth.

Cranberries

Whether it’s freshly prepared, canned, whole, or jellied, cranberry sauce is delicious no matter how you enjoy it. However, it’s also great at preventing tooth decay. Certain components in cranberries ensure that the sugary tooth decay causing substances cannot attach to your teeth during your meal. While you should definitely brush and floss after you finish eating, a healthy dose of cranberry sauce can be helpful in case the tryptophan causes you to take a nap before you get to your toothbrush.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin tastes pretty dang good in just about everything. How else would you end a scrumptious feast with anything but pumpkin pie?! While the sugars in the pie could easily cause tooth decay, the pumpkin itself will actually help your teeth! Pumpkin pulp is filled with Vitamin A, fiber, potassium, and magnesium--all substances that promote strong tooth enamel and strong teeth.

So, go ahead, have another slice of pie, another cut of turkey, or another scoop of cranberry sauce. Dr. Reed would approve! Just make sure you brush and floss afterwards, and contact our office if you have any issues or questions about what you can and cannot eat for Turkey Day this year!

Brushing With Braces

By the time the braces discussion comes along, you’re probably a well practiced brusher. You’ve dealt with baby teeth, missing teeth, and now adult teeth. You definitely know your way around your mouth with a brush and string of floss. So, what happens when braces are thrown into the mix? Do you continue to brush for 2 minutes? How does flossing work? Do you need new toothpaste? What about mouthwash? Don’t worry! Reed Orthodontics is here to walk you through the next few months of brushing to ensure your teeth come out perfectly and clean once your braces are removed.

Equipment Necessary

While your regular, soft bristle toothbrush is definitely adequate to get a good clean, you’re probably going to want to up the rest of your oral health game to ensure you get into all of the cracks and crevices that braces create. Investing in a floss threader is going to be key to optimal flossing and food removal. It’s also important to use wax floss instead of a non-wax floss. This is because non-wax floss can easily tear into shreds and get caught in the many metal trappings of your braces. If your oral hygiene is slacking, your dentist or orthodontist may prescribe fluoride toothpaste. This toothpaste is the ultimate defense against tooth decay. Finally, while we mentioned above that your regular toothbrush will suffice, you will likely want to replace it sooner than the recommended 3 months. Keep an eye on bristle wear and tear to make sure you aren’t brushing with dirty, bent, ineffective bristles.

Technique, Technique, Technique

While Dr. Reed will walk you through how to brush your teeth after getting braces, a quick step by step reminder is always helpful.

• Prepare your teeth by taking off any removable parts to your orthodontia. This includes removing rubber bands, and taking your Invisalign aligners out.
• Start with the braces then move to the teeth. Take your time concentrating on cleaning the braces in your mouth and then moving onto the teeth. Doing these one step at a time will ensure you spend enough time thoroughly removing an built up plaque or food debris in your mouth.
• ProTip: You’ll want to continue to brush your teeth for two minutes total. So add some additional time to that for braces only brushing. Also, you’ll want to try to brush after every single meal or snack. This will ensure you get any food debris out in a timely manner before it has time to wreck havoc in your mouth.
• Floss, floss, floss. While you don’t need to floss after every single meal, you’ll want to ensure you do a major flossing once a day. We recommend at night, right before bed.
• Brush once more. Give your teeth a quick once over to get all of the loose food particles out.
• Rinse it out. Swish some fresh, clean, water around your mouth to get everything out.
• Smile! Admire your shiny smile in the mirror!

If you’ve got any questions about how to effectively brush your teeth, or about anything braces and orthodontics related, feel free to contact Dr. Reed to set up an appointment!