Costco

Just wondering, what kind of products do you guys use, and why? And if you use mouthwash, do you rinse your mouth out with water afterwards? Some products, particularly Listerine, leave this weird residue after rinsing and I just got used to rinsing with water afterwards.

Toothbrush: Oral-B Advantage (manual) - haven't found an electric that amazes me
Toothpaste: Colgate Total Whitening - not sure if it truly works as advertised, My teeth are more like WDP than they are "white"....
Floss: whatever is available... but I like those floss picks which tense up when you squeeze them
Mouthwash: Listerine or Targon - I don't smoke but if it helps whitens teeth...

On a related note, if you use Crest Pro-Health Mouthwash, STOP!! I've read reports that it stains your teeth brown. Link here:

http://www.amazon.com/Crest-PRO-HEAL...6331105&sr=8-7

hornyleprechaun

I swear I was about to start a thread about dental hygiene. I need to go get a dental check up so I've started flossing again, and started last night. My gums are sore right now

Toothbrush - whatever the dentist gives me for free
Toothpaste - Colgate Total
Floss - Just normal floss, but I have some trouble getting my lower left teeth, so I may invest in those little floss picks that you dispose of after use.
Mouthwash - Listerine Fresh mint

I brush, floss and then mouthwash. That is what it says on the listerine bottle to do

Whiskers

<---Lives in England

hornyleprechaun

You poor man..

JJ4Short

toothbrush: Blue one
toothpaste: Minty kind
floss: usually edge of a piece of paper when I feel something in my teeth or random string, basically anything that can fit between my teeth
mouthwash: Water

sho_nuff1997

iTrader: (2)

toothbrush: sonic care
tooth paste: Arm & hammer
floss: the little floss pics
mouthwash: crest or listerine whitening

blackglass

toothbrush: sonic care
tooth paste: colgate total
floss: whatever is cheapest
mouthwash: listerine whitening- and yeah I rinse after any mouthwash, I don't like the filmy feeling or the taste

SakiGT

toothbrush: whatever is on sale with ridges (soft)
tooth paste: arm and hammer whitening
floss: the little reach doodad thingy. I floss daily now. My dentist yells at me
mouthwash: rarely use it: publix brand

Ive got a $7 bottle of that nighttime mouthwash awaiting to be opened. Can I try and return it?

SakiGT

Its kinda funny. I read a post by Beetroot a while ago about how his girlfriend told him to floss then smell the floss to see what your mouth reeks of. Its so gross, but its such a motivator.

hornyleprechaun

Or you could just lick the back of your hand.. blow on it and smell.

Will Y.

Toothbrush: whatever my wife finds on sale (I prefer Reach or something w/a small angled head and soft bristles)
Tooth paste: Colgate (whichever version is on sale)
Floss: Oral B, Target or SavOn plain waxed.
Mouthwash: tap water

I use an Oral B dental probe for cleaning around the gums and getting rid of plaque about once a week.

drdamian

you know i couldn't let this thread go untouched. Since i am the "dental expert"

As for a tooth brush- I use Sonicare. but, any SOFT bristle tooth brush will really do the trick. DO NOT USE ANYTHING OTHER THAN SOFT. I cant stress that enough. Most people like to feel like they are good and do the job. The only thing you are doing is traumatizing your gums and thus causing them to recede, which makes your teeth sensitive.

Toothpaste- Use any kind you like.. i use whatever is free but i personally feel like crest does a better job but colgate tastes better. Do not waste your money on any whitening toothpaste thinking that they will whiten your teeth. This is the biggest hoax. Get your teeth professionally whitened or use the crest white strips, they are OK. But for the money you spend on the white strips and the time you could have gotten them done professionally in as little as 45mins. if you have any fillings on your front teeth do not whiten them because the composite filling will not whiten and will usually end up looking dark compared to your whiter teeth.

Floss- I use anything that i can wrap around my fingers and not have them pull off. i try to stay away from the dental tapes.

Mouthwash- i like listerine.. wintermint is good. i would not rinse rinse with water after using mouthwash

I would also consider getting a water pik, they are really good and give your teeth a good power washing. you can use regular water and actually place some mouthrinse in the unit as well.
another side note. ask your doctor to prescribe you a toopaste called Prevident 5000. it is a high flouride toothpaste. i usually use this after i am done brushing, flossing, mouthrinse, then the prevident.. you don't want to rinse afterwards, just let it sit on your teeth. I give this to all of my cancer patients and they have not had a cavity since using it.
Any other questions please feel free to ask, my consultations are free.

hornyleprechaun

^Great job

I need to go see my dentist, but the gums right below 1 of my lower front teeth is receding a little. I figured if I started to floss, brush, & mouthwash it would help? Or is this harming it? Anything I can do to stop the receding

drdamian

yes, you should keep the area clean.. do you have a lip piercing.. Only reason i ask is becuase it is a huge factor in gum recesion. Also do you use chewing tobacco.? other than that, it could be receding due to the angulation of the teeth or they are covered with plaque. regardless, there really isn't a way to bring the receded area back unless you see a periodontist who is a gum specialist. he can do a gum graft. just make sure you use a soft bristle brush and angle the bristles 45 degrees to your teeth and go in short circular motions. don't just go back and forth or up and down. You should brush 30 seconds per quadrant or area. so 2 mins should be good.

svtmike

Toothbrush: Oral-B Sonicare. Refills from Costco.
Toothpaste: Whatever quality paste Costco has. Currently Crest Total.
Floss: Crest flat stuff, forget the brand name. Use it morning and night.
Mouthwash: Crest Pro Health. Been using it for a year and no staining. Those getting stains maybe aren't cleaning their teeth properly before use?

SakiGT

Ive used a lot of whitening toothpaste /white strips before, but Arm and Hammer just rocks. Not only do people ask me all the time if I get my teeth whitened (not smoking/ no coffee helps) but its cheap ($3) and doesnt make my teeth sensitive.

Those white strips work well but afterwards Im very sensitive to anything, especially cold.

hornyleprechaun

No piercing.. at least on my lip And no chewing tabacco. I've never had a cavity either, and think my teeth are in pretty good shape. I think it was just the way I was brushing that made it recede though.

drdamian

yes, that is a downfall to whitening, sensitivity.

drdamian

proper brushing will make a world of different. i mean you are only trying to remove the sticky stuff from your teeth. After a while that soft sticky stuff (plaque), turns into a hard substance that only a dentist can remove (calculus, or tartar) . The idea is to remove the soft sticky stuff before it turns into calculus.

On another note. for people that want whiter teeth and drink coffee or tea. try to drink it through a straw. like one of those sippy straws.. the liqued never touches your teeth, thus prevents staining them.

hornyleprechaun

Thanks

Chr8808

iTrader: (1)

Thats been on my mind lately but i never asked around. I do that too cause listerine is pretty nasty


Toothbrush: whats on sale, usually colgate and oral B's but never those cheapie generics. Used to have a Sonic Care but it broke but will be getting another for Christmas
Toothpaste: again, whats on sale. This week was Colgate, so we bought 12 6oz tubs @ $1 each. Crest though seems to never ever go on sale up here
Floss: Johnson & Johnson waxed
Mouthwash: Listerine and Crest, never tried anything else really

onebadna1nsx

Interesting... Crap I have 4 bottles of pro-health at home.... Freaking Costco bundles!

drdamian, what kind of mouthwash would you reccomend then? Reading the reviews on amazon, I noticed someone said high levels of alcohol in listerine may cause gum cancer.

drdamian

Personally i use listerine, but the pro health is very good as well. The prohealth does not have any alcohol in it. When listerine was first made, back when there was only 1 horrible flavor, There were high levels of alcohol in it. A lot of people started to develop oral cancer due to the alcohol denaturing cells, thus causing mutations, thus causing cancer. Listerine never came out and said that they were the culprit of people developing oral cancer but subsequently the levels of alcohol in listerine were reduced. i don't think you have to much to worry about if you wanted to use listerine. hell, in dental school before exams we would take shots of it to hype us up..

hornyleprechaun

Dr.. I have flossed, brushed and used mouth wash the past 2 days, but my morning breath has gotten increasingly worse! I figured since I was doing a better cleaning job that it would make my mouth more fresh, but it has gotten worse!

drdamian

try using a tongue scraper and brishing your tongue as well. there are little filiments on your tongue that bacteria collect. Usually i recommend to my patients that when you are done brushing your teeth, run the toothbrush over your tongue a few times. try to get as far back as you can. It will turn into a nice pink color. You can also go to the store and get some kind of tongue scraper and run that over your tongue. Some patients come into my office and there tongues range in color from light green to dark brown.
Also, do you have your tonsils. if you do, then there are these little crips on either side of the tonsils. They are like these little folds that collect bacteria and when the bacteria build up to much the tonsil expresses a little white looking thing. They look like those little NERD candy things except they are white. They literally smell like feces.. I know because i used to get them. I have since has my tonsils removed and i havn't had any problems. If you do not have any periodontal issues, then its safe to say that those 2 things mentioned might be one of the problems.

joerockt

Toothbrush: Oral B Triumph
Toothpaste: Any Crest
Floss: whatever is available...
Mouthwash: Listerine

hornyleprechaun

Yes I have my tonsils.. I'll try scraping my tongue

cibs

I always wondered what those were... I only get them when i'm sick... so I figured it had something to do with that... is it worth removing them? lol yes i have a few times removed them... never noticed the smell but that's probably also cuz I was stuffed up and couldn't smell a thing

how can you avoid getting those?

drdamian

There is no way to really avoid them. i used to get them when i wasn't sick. but i can tell you from first hand experience. They literally smell like feces. Since i have got my tonsils taken out 2 years ago, i have not seen them since. I have a friend that is an ENT he told me that bad breath comes from that. Also, a dirty tongue, and finally periodontal disease also causes bad breath.

drdamian

yes, try that.. you should notice a significant difference.. especially if you stick your tongue out while looking in the mirror and if it isn't a nice pink color. def need to clean it. I also chew gum all day.. but don't use any gums with sugar. Trident is my favorite and it also has xylitol which lessens chances of getting cavities on your teeth.

subinf

Toothbrush: A colgate one? Do they make tooth brushes?
Toothpaste: Colgate Total Whitening or Crest - whatever they have at Costco
Foss: None unless something is stuck in my teeth
Mouthwash: Act but I'm lazy and rarely use it

Thanks to my parents, I have horrible teeth. They are straight and white and everything, just very prone to cavities. I brush 3-4x day and still (well used to, most are filled or capped now) get cavities. Dentist says I have shit ass luck.

invisiblewar

Damn I brush about three times a day and rinse 3-4. rarely floss
only product i stick with is listerine. I love that stuff.
Dr.Damian what would you sayy about being a dentist. its what i wanted to do since ive been four.

drdamian

Being a dentist is amazing. I have wanted to be a dentist since i was in high school.. I studied my ass off and now here i am. The best part about my job is changing peoples lives. I just finished a case about 2 weeks ago. The patient is a 17yo female. very attractive, but her teeth were jacked. No boys liked her, she told me people in school would pick on her all the time. She came in, i gave her 8 veneers in the front. When i gave her the mirror to see herself, she immediately burst out into tears. Her parents were waiting in the waiting room and they immediately burst into tears upon seeing their daughter. a very emotional day for all of us as well. I love doing that stuff. It is extremely rewarding. and it pays the bills
Here is a quick before and after.


**That isn't decay, it is actually caused by excessive intake of flouride during tooth development. Its a condition called hyperflouridosis **

invisiblewar

thats basically why i want to do that. well the whole fulfilling feeling. and the money isnt bad either. Also, what school did you end up going to

MikeCLS6

What is the process to getting veneers? I heard someone tell me that you first grind down your existing teeth, is that true?

Whiskers

Yep....They turn your real teeth into nubs...

hornyleprechaun

I honestly don't think I could look into people's mouths all day long as my job.. I bet you see some really nasty nasty mouths..

drdamian

I went to Temple for my dental education. It is definetely one of the best schools for clinical training. Penn also has a good dental program, but they focus more on research.

drdamian

yes, for veneers you basicaly grind away about 1.5-2mm off the front of the tooth and the edge.. i have pics of the preps but i left them at home. i will load them up later for you to see.

drdamian

you bet, i see some really nasty stuff. infections of all kind. people with horrible breath, decay rampant all over their mouth. but honestly its not always that bad.
i just had a kid about 1 month ago. recovering heroin addict, 21 years old.. His teeth were so bad, all 32 teeth needed to be extracted and upper and lower dentures were made. a really sad situation. That is probably the worst case that i have seen. and the worst part about the entire thing, i find out that his mother turned him onto drugs.