Today I got asked by a patient, “Dr.Chand, if you really want us to use an electric toothbrushes then how come you hand out manual toothbrushes at our cleanings?”

Great question. I would LOVE to hand out electric toothbrushes to all of my patients, but unfortunately, they are far too expensive for me to do that. But ideally, yes, I would hope that all of my patients start using an electric toothbrush after they leave my office.

I also get asked pretty frequently, “Does an electric toothbrush really make a difference?”.

Here’s my advice. Buy one. Yes, they are pricey. (Average cost is approximately $150). Use it for six months twice daily. Not only will your mouth feel cleaner, it will actually be cleaner. I can promise you your dentist and hygienist will notice a huge difference from when you were using a manual toothbrush.

So what is it about an manual toothbrush that makes it so much better than a handheld toothbrush you can buy for a couple of bucks at the store? Here are my top 3 reasons:

1) Studies have consistently shown that electric toothbrushes remove more plaque and tartar than manual toothbrushes. That equals less scraping of your teeth at your next dental visit. Now who doesn’t want that?

2) It’s easy. All you have to do is turn the toothbrush on and let the toothbrush do it’s job. It times your brushing and even pauses when you are supposed to switch areas of the mouth.

3) They are technologically savvy. New electric toothbrushes now have bluetooth technology installed in them. No you can’t make phone calls from your toothbrush. What you can do is see if your brushing habits have improved over time. Some electric toothbrushes also have a sensor which will tell if you are brushing too hard.

I’ve personally had the same electric toothbrush for seven years. I just change the heads every 3 months or so. Now, that’s an investment that’s completely worth it in my opinion.

Happy Brushing!

Contact us with any questions! Our Dental Practice in McLean VA is here to put your family first!

There’s almost nothing worse than having to tell a mom that her child has cavities.  I have seen all reactions…denial, acceptance, anger, humor. But the worst reaction for me to see is a parent questioning themselves on whether or not they are doing the right thing for their children. The #1 question…”What am I doing wrong, Dr.Chand??” I can see the tears welling up and just want to hug them and say, “Honestly, you’re probably doing nothing wrong”.

Why then is your child getting cavities when they brush twice daily and don’t eat lots of candy? First and foremost, there is a strong genetic component.  I’m not saying that your child will need dentures like Grandpa Joe did.  But I am saying that certain bacteria thrive in some people’s oral environments more so than others. With the right acidic environment, those bacteria will start attacking teeth.

So what helps create that acidic environment? Great question! It’s not just regular sodas. Sure, sodas have the sugar and can be absolutely detrimental to your teeth. However, diet sodas are just as dangerous. Sure you don’t have sugar anymore, but you have an extremely acidic product which loves to stick to your teeth.  Once again..it’s the attack of the bacteria.

Moms will tell me, well little Joey only drinks juice and water.  Juice is good and can be nutritious, however, in most cases it is no better than drinking sugar water.  Juice companies LOAD sugar into their products so kids will like drinking them.  Just do a comparison on sugar on the back of a juice box and a can of Coke or Pepsi. It’s pretty shocking to say the least.

Fruits should also be something to watch in your diet. Yes, I know. Fruits are good for you and have vitamins and yes…I agree with you.  But please remember, certain fruits such as grapefruit and oranges create an extremely acidic environment in your mouth. Also, those super sweet fruits such as grapes and pineapple…sorry, but those bacteria in your mouth don’t care about the type of sugar you’re eating. They like it all and will attack it all in your mouth.  Please don’t think I’m saying you shouldn’t eat fruit because trust me, I love fruit and eat it constantly.  Just make sure you wash away that sugar with some water, or better yet, brush after every meal.

The last thing I want to emphasize is nothing but a party for bacteria to swim in are sports drinks.  Bottom line is Sports drinks=Sugar Water.

I know your kids are in soccer and basketball and swim and tennis and karate and…Moms, I admire you. What you do is harder than any full time job I know of. Just don’t be so hard on yourselves.  Just watch a few of these things I talked about and it should really make a difference. All for now!

Stress!! Just the thought of it can make a person anxious.  Stress comes from all different aspects of our lives.  The stress of kids, homework, marital issues, sports, work, family drama, bills…It’s everywhere.  We all know that stress can play a very important role in how we feel.  Ever have a packed weekend where you are constantly on the go? Then when it’s finally over, you feel like you could sleep for a week? Well, that’s your body telling you it’s time to relax. The funny thing is…even when you’re sleeping, you’re likely not relaxing and taking all that stress out on your teeth.

Ever wake up with a headache? Jaw soreness? Do you suffer from migraines? I was surprised to learn at a TMJ seminar a few years ago that our muscles do not relax when we are sleeping. On the contrary, our muscles become more hyperactive once we are at rest.  When we are awake and catch ourselves clenching or grinding it’s easy to stop ourselves from the bad habit. However, when we are sleeping, our bodies do not know to stop and it puts excessive force on our teeth.

Here are some of the side effects of clenching/grinding:

1. Cracked teeth: By putting excessive pressure on your teeth, small cracks can become evident in your dentition.  These small cracks act a lot cracks in windshields. They can start off as small and over a small period of time become a lot bigger if the cause is not addressed.
2. Flat teeth: Your teeth should have nice rounded edges to them. If they are sharp and flat, you may be grinding your teeth.  Nothing in your body is stronger than the enamel on your teeth. If you are flattening your teeth, you are doing some significant damage to your mouth.  Remember, enamel doesn’t grow back. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.
3. Bone loss: Without getting too dental-nerdy on you, clenching and grinding causes gum loss and/or bone loss.  If you notice some areas of your teeth that are getting sensitive along the gumline, you may be suffering from gum or bone loss.

So what can you do to take control of this stressful grinding??!?! The first step is to go see your dentist. Have your dentist take a look at your teeth and see if they see evidence of grinding on your teeth. If they have an intraoral camera, ask if they can take a picture of the flattened areas on your teeth.  The second step is to ask your dentist about a custom fit night guard.  I can’t tell you enough how many of my patients say, “I’ll think about it”.  Months later they present with a cracked tooth or filling.  It costs way more money to have a tooth built up and crowned than to have a custom night guard made.  It’s a quick impression and the appointment shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.

Hopefully this answers any clenching/grinding questions you have. If you have more, feel free to make an appointment to see me! Our dental practice in McLean is experienced in treating clenching, grinding, and TMJ treatment.