Electric Toothbrushes vs. Manual Toothbrushes: What’s the Difference?

It seems like everyone is jumping on the electric toothbrush bandwagon. As many experts in the dental field are claiming electric toothbrushes provide superior dental care. It’s true that electric toothbrushes are recommended for those who can’t do a good job brushing manually or who have arthritis or other conditions. But manual toothbrushes do have some advantages, according to an article we found including:

• Cost. While electric toothbrushes may be expensive for many people, manual toothbrushes are both inexpensive and accessible. You also get a free manual toothbrush with your 6 month cleaning and checkups.

• Less pressure on your teeth & gums. Most people can feel the amount of pressure they are using as they grasp their manual toothbrush; however they can’t feel the pressure nearly as well with an electric toothbrush. Placing too much pressure on teeth can wear away at the tooth enamel, which causes pain, sensitivity, as well as an increased risk of tooth decay.

• Simple to pack. Manual toothbrushes are easy to carry around to the office, school, and trips. People are less likely to let their good dental care habits lapse on vacation with a toothbrush that they can easily bring along!

• Better for kids. Learning at a young age how to properly use a manual toothbrush helps children get a feel for how to properly take care of their oral hygiene.

Electric toothbrushes, on the other hand, are more effective in removing plaque and are considered a better alternative to maintaining gum health. Remember, whether you choose a manual or an electric toothbrush, Dr. Alina Bergan and her team encourage you to choose one with soft bristles and be sure to change the bristles on the electric brush when they become worn down. We also encourage you to replace your toothbrush every three months, when the bristles are no longer straight and firm. Also please make sure you replace your toothbrush after you recover from the flu or a cold.

Happy brushing!

We would love to see you, at our convenient Cedarhurst, NY office! You can book online http://www.alinabergandds.com or call us today at 800-223-0801.

The Daily (and Nightly) Grind

Changing seasons from summer to fall often means returning from vacations and relaxed schedules to a more settled and structured routine. This is a perfect time of year to pay attention to yourself and notice your own personal habits.

Once you’ve slowed down enough, you may notice a few nagging symptoms, such as a dull, constant headache or a sore jaw when you wake up some mornings. Bruxism, or grinding and/or clenching your teeth is a common problem that affects millions of people, which often go unaware that they are doing it. Other symptoms besides a headache and painful jaw, can be damaged teeth, broken fillings and injured gums. You may not be aware of your own teeth grinding, but often the first people to notice your noisy problem are those that are close to you, such as a family member or roommate that is awakened at night by the sound of your grinding teeth.

During the summer, your teeth clenching and grinding may have been an occasional occurrence, but now, settling into a more consistent routine, you’ve noticed a regular pattern of disturbed sleep and painful days. Don’t delay getting help any longer; grinding you teeth can cause dental complications.

Catching bruxism in the early stages can help prevent dental issues such as losing the enamel from teeth and even worse, exposing the layer of dentin. When this happens your teeth can become very sensitive and lead to eventual decay. Other damage such as flattened or fractured teeth can result from untreated grinding.

A good start to your fall routine and help with your daily grind, is to visit your dentist. Even if you haven’t noticed your clenching and grinding yet, there’s a good chance your dentist will see the tell-tale signs during your checkup. Before deciding on a course of action the cause will need to be determined. If your grinding is due to improper alignment you may need a referral to an orthodontist.

If you have damage such as severely worn or fractured teeth, or broken fillings, your dentist may need to use crowns or fillings to help restore tooth health. To prevent further damage, a splint or mouth guard worn at night may be recommended.

Get away from the grinding and clenching pattern of pain and tooth damage and into the healing power of restoration and prevention. For more information and/or to schedule your exam, please contact our office today at 800-223-0801.

We would love to see you, at our convenient Cedarhurst, NY office! You can book online http://www.alinabergandds.com or call us today.  

Back to School Dental Tips

          

Your child may have the latest wardrobe, school supplies and sports equipment for the new school year, but do they have a healthy mouth and the tools they'll need to maintain it?

According to the American Dental Association, a dental examination is as important as immunizations and booster shots and should be a regular part of back-to-school preparations. With over 51 million school hours missed per year because of dental problems, we think it’s pretty safe to say that taking steps to prevent dental problems and dental emergencies in school age children is a good idea.  Here are some back to school dental tips that will help ensure that your child or teen’s healthy teeth check-ups are the only dental appointments they will need this year.

Supervise Dental Hygiene

In younger children, this is especially important.  Instruct them on proper brushing and flossing.  Check their work to make sure they have cleaned all the way in back and behind their front teeth.  Talk about healthy teeth, and the importance of maintaining good personal hygiene by brushing teeth twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste, and once your permanent teeth come in, make sure that they floss.

Don't Skip Regular Dental Check-Ups

The best way to avoid the need for extensive dental work is to detect problems early.  Seeing the dentist every six months for and exam and dental cleaning makes this possible, and prevents small problems from turning into bigger, more expensive and more time consuming problems.

Wear Sports Mouthguards

Some of the most common sports injuries are dental injuries.  Youth athletics are an important part of life for many kids, and dental injuries can happen in any sport.  Make sure your child or teen wears a dental mouth guard to protect his/her teeth during practice and games.  Ask your dentist about custom-fitted mouth guards for added protection.

Pack a Good Lunch

1. Stay away from packing your child’s lunch with drinks that are high in sugar.  Many sports drinks, energy drinks, sodas, and juices have anywhere between 5-12 teaspoons of sugar in one serving.  The longer this sugar stays on your child’s teeth, the more likely they will develop tooth decay.  Many children do not have a chance to brush their teeth throughout the day, so minimizing the amount of sugar in their lunch can help decrease their chances of cavities.

2.  Pack snacks that are high in protein in your child’s lunch.  High protein foods will minimize hunger, and as a result your child will be less likely to snack all day on sugary unhealthy foods that are found in many cafeterias and on-campus vending machines.

3. If you want to occasionally add a sweet treat to your child’s lunch, try chocolate instead of other candies that are highly acidic and/or are more likely to stick to their teeth for long periods of time.

Check out our New Child Patient Special! If you have any questions about dental care for your kids, give us a call at 800-223-0801. We would love to see you, at our convenient Cedarhurst, NY office! 

Alternative Uses for Mouthwash

Do you have a bottle of mouthwash that sits on your bathroom counter only to be used once and a while? We often don’t think about using mouthwash as a part of our daily routine – but mouthwash has proven to come in handy for more than controlling just bad breath. Take a look at these refreshing and money-saving alternative uses for mouthwash.

Other than the obvious use of cleansing your mouth, mouthwash can aid many hygiene-related emergencies, as listed below:

• Face Cleanser. If you have an alcohol-based and sugar-free mouthwash, it can act exactly the same as a facial astringent. Simply apply to a clean face with a cotton ball and rinse afterward.
• Garlic Odor. As good as garlic tastes, it’s probably not the chosen perfume for date night. After eating garlic, you can get garlic breath, garlic hands…and just a garlic scent that is simply unappealing. Along with using mouthwash for its intended purpose, try rubbing a little on your hands and neck to defuse the smell.
• Dandruff Remover. Mouthwash is designed to kill bacteria and fungus in the mouth, but it does the exact same thing if you use it outside of the mouth. Dandruff is actually caused by a fungus, which causes the scalp to be irritated and itchy. To let mouthwash work its magic, simply soak your hair in mouthwash and wrap it in a towel for 15 minutes. After that, wash your hair normally. Repeat if needed. You can also dip a cotton swab into the mouthwash and run it over the scalp line and any areas that you see flakes.

Most of the uses of mouthwash from a health standpoint have to do with its anti-fungal properties and ingredients.

·         Cut Disinfectant. Because most mouthwashes contain alcohol of some kind, they can act as a great disinfectant. Simply apply some to a cotton swab and gently wipe the cut – if it stings slightly, that is normal.

• Hand Sanitizer. As longs as you use alcohol-based and sugar-free mouthwash, you are good to go for clean and fresh hands!
• Bruise Treatment. Rubbing mouthwash over a bruise or soon-to-be bruised area will help cover up any injury that may have occurred.
• Poison Ivy Treatment. While it is not an instant healing treatment, applying mouthwash to poison ivy relieves itchiness and speeds up the overall healing time.
• Athlete’s Foot Treatment. If you have spray for athlete’s foot, that is the best thing to use first. But if you find yourself in a tough spot, mouthwash will help, but it may sting slightly. If you are at the gym and forgot your shower shoes you can use mouthwash on your feet to help prevent athlete’s foot.
• After-Piercing Care. After you get a piercing, professionals will tell you to buy a special treatment for keeping the area clean and safe from infection. A secret: mouthwash does the same thing. Just apply it a couple of times a day and you’re set!
• Flea Repellant. For dogs or cats, a vet will suggest buying flea shampoo or spray to keep the pests off them, but mouthwash actually works well at keeping fleas away, too. You can either combine some mouthwash with your pet’s shampoo or create a spray by deluding it with water.

Around the home, mouthwash can be used in a variety of ways, especially when it comes to cleaning!

• Fresh Laundry. Sometimes, you just have that load of laundry that will not come out smelling fresh no matter what. In cases like this, adding a cup of mouthwash to the load helps eliminate odor and kills germs.
• Clean Bathrooms. Mouthwash is a great agent for killing mold or mildew in bathroom sinks, counters, toilets, showers and bathtubs! After cleaning, your bathroom will look and smell minty fresh!
• Garbage Disposal Cleaner. Ever sniff around the kitchen and notice something smells funky? More often than not, it is the garbage disposal stinking up the whole room. An easy fix for this is pouring about ½ a cup of mouthwash down the disposal and – voila!
• Computer Monitor Cleaner. This only works on glass monitors, but applying mouthwash with a damp rag to the screen helps clear off any smudges. This will not work well on LCD displays, so make sure you know which kind you have before you try it.

Isn’t it cool to hear all that mouthwash can do? So remember to practice good dental hygiene with brushing and flossing. Then use mouthwash to cleanse your breath and in other creative ways.

If you have any questions about mouthwash, give us a call at 800-223-0801. We would love to see you, at our convenient Cedarhurst, NY office! You can book online http://www.alinabergandds.com or call us today.  

Have a Bright Summer with a Whiter Smile

Summertime brings sunshine and warm weather, and many of our patients begin thinking about brightening their smiles this time of year. A whiter smile is one just one visit away with Dr. Alina Bergan D.D.S!

Many people try to whiten their teeth on their own at home, only to find out the products they are using either do not work or they cause harm to their teeth. Dental office tooth whitening is safe, quick, and inexpensive. It can be used to correct many tooth discolorations which may have been caused by staining, aging, or chemical damage to teeth. Using the latest in whitening technology, we can offer a safe method for creating the beautiful smile you’ve always wanted. Come in today for a consultation and let us tell you how we can get your smile shining in no time.

Dr. Alina Bergan is ready to help make your smile whiter this summer. Give us a call today at 800-223-0801, to schedule appointments at our convenient Cedarhurst, NY office!

Ways to Keep Kids’ Teeth Safe In Summer

To kids, summer is a time to play outside, go swimming, and have all kinds of adventures. Even though summer is a carefree time of year, it’s still important for them to take care of their teeth. Here are some simple ways you can keep their teeth safe as they play from dawn to dusk.

1. Swimming: Frequent swimmers are prone to something called “swimmer’s calculus,” which causes yellow-brown or dark brown stains on teeth. These spots are the result of pool water treatment chemicals coming in contact with their teeth. This usually happens when kids spend more than six hours a week in the pool. The good news is that it’s a cosmetic condition that can be easily removed by dentists. As a precaution, you may want to schedule an extra dental visit your kids do a lot of swimming.
2. Diving: If you plan on doing any scuba diving this summer, you may experience something called “tooth squeeze,” or pain in the center of the tooth. The changes in air pressure combined with divers biting too hard on the regulators can result in jaw pain, gum issues or tooth pain. Have the whole family’s teeth checked prior to any scuba excursions.
3. Pool safety: Many summertime dental injuries occur around the pool. Two of the most common causes are slipping and falling, and playing too rough. Talk to your kids to make sure they do not run around the pool or roughhouse in or around it.
4. Summer sports: When playing any contact sport—even if it’s just for fun—make sure your kids wear helmets and mouthguards. Mouthguards prevent more than 200,000 dental injuries each year.

Another way to keep your kids teeth this summer is to make sure they are eating the right kids of foods. Microbes from sugars and starches thrive in food particles stay in your kids’ mouth and create a menacing acid that can promote tooth cavities. It should be proposed that you just give your kids sugary pastries after dinner, or once a day. If your child needs snacks throughout the day, attempt to maintain a distance from sugary beverages, for example, fruit juices.

The following is a rundown of good snacks for your kid to enjoy during summer heat.

Fruit: Pineapples, pears, apples, berries, melons and oranges.

Grains: Unsweetened cereals, plain bagels and whole-grain breads.

Nuts and seeds: Pumpkin seeds, low-salt or unsalted peanuts, and sunflower seeds.

Raw vegetables: Carrots, broccoli and celery sticks.

Dr. Alina Bergan is ready to help make sure your family has great dental health this summer, please call with any questions or concerns you may have. We can be reached at 800-223-0801, to schedule appointments at our convenient Cedarhurst, NY office!

Fourth of July Dental Tips

Happy Fourth of July from your Cedarhurst Dentist Dr. Alina Bergan D.D.S. and staff! To help keep your celebrations as joyful as possible, we've put together a few dental tips that will keep your smile as bright as the fireworks.

Ice, Candy Apples, Corn on the Cob, and Pretzels are common at Fourth of July BBQs. Try to avoid chewing on ice and if you must have a candy apple, slice the apple to make it easier to chew on. Use a knife to cut the corn off of the cob so you can enjoy the flavor without hurting your teeth. If the pretzels are a bit stale try dunking them in some water before you chow down. If you do chip your tooth, here are some tips to keep the pain down until you can visit the office after the holiday day.

If your tooth is broken, chipped, or fractured, you definitely need to see Dr. Bergan as soon as possible), as you risk damaging your tooth further, or worse becoming infected, which can lead to total tooth loss. 

Make sure that you:

• Rinse your mouth with some clean, warm saltwater.
• Take some over-the-counter pain relief. Look for the bottle with acetaminophen as the active ingredient.
• If you have to eat, try to avoid using the broken tooth, and stick to soft foods
• Sometimes a broken or chipped tooth will leave a sharp edge, which you can cover with wax or plain chewing gum (sugarless).

Daylong snacking is a common event at Independence Day celebrations. To help keep your teeth clean without bringing a toothbrush, try chewing on some sugarless ADA approved gum. It will remove food particles and stimulate saliva production.

Beer and Soda are popular beverages at BBQs, so make sure to alternate drinks with water. This will help keep your teeth clean and the pH normal in your mouth. As an added bonus, water helps avoid hangovers and helps you to avoid becoming dehydrated.

Cheese, celery, and onions all help keep your teeth and mouth healthy, and they should be in easy supply at your celebration.

Please do not use your mouth as a bottle opener. This may sound ridiculous, but it happens more than you might think. When the bottle opener disappears, people resort to crazy tactics, and your teeth are often involved. Beer bottle related tooth injuries actually make up a large percentage of BBQ-related dental problems. Please Avoid it!

After you make it home safe and sound, make sure to finish the night with brushing and flossing. The few minutes you spend can fight off unnecessary dental work down the road. Also consider scheduling a cleaning if you are due. Regular dental cleanings help fight off cancer, protect your teeth, and fight off heart attacks/strokes.

Dr. Alina Bergan is ready to help make sure your Independence Day is memorable for the good times, not the bad, please call with any questions or concerns you may have. We can be reached at 800-223-0801.