Dentaltown November 2013 - (Page 92)

hygiene and prevention in this section Dry Brush Inside Bottom Teeth First by Trisha E. O'Hehir, RDH, MS Hygienetown Editorial Director Dentists and hygienists provide careful toothbrushing instructions, but something gets in the way of effective brushing at home. In the office, toothbrushing instructions are always done with a dry toothbrush, without toothpaste. At home, on goes not the pea size drop of toothpaste, but instead that of a Dairy Queen swirl. Toothpaste creates so many bubbles which makes patients lean over the sink, drool and daydream while brushing. What seems like three minutes is really closer to 30 seconds, not enough time to effectively remove plaque from all surfaces of all the teeth. The flavoring and wetting agents in the toothpaste actually numb the tongue, tricking people into thinking their teeth are clean long before removing all the plaque. For these reasons, brushing first without toothpaste will actually result in longer brushing time and more effective plaque removal. Research published in JADA in 1998 confirms this. Patients instructed to dry brush their teeth, beginning on the inside of the bottom teeth first and brushing until the teeth felt and tasted clean throughout before adding toothpaste showed significant benefit after six months. This resulted in a 63 percent reduction in lingual calculus and a 55 percent reduction in lingual bleeding. Despite the many benefits of toothpaste ingredients, toothpaste actually gets in the way of effective plaque removal. What is your observation about patient effectiveness with toothbrushing? The brushing, flossing and fluoride routine remains the standard preventive message, but recent systematic reviews show it isn't working as well as one would expect. This begs the question, "Is the standard prevention message working?" n Inside This Section 93 92 NOVEMBER 2013 » dentaltown.com Perio Reports » http://www.dentaltown.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown November 2013

Dentaltown.com Highlights
Howard Speaks: Not Getting it Done? Hire a Consultant
Professional Courtesy: Painful Advertising
Continuing Education Update
Second Opinion: The Role of Teamwork in the Third Era of Medicine
Deprogrammed Open Bite Can Help with Veneers
Bruxism Worse with Splint
Corporate Profile: Burbank Dental Laboratory
Product Profile: Eaglesoft 17
Debunking the Social Stigma of Stress
The Personal Side of Stress
In Your Face: Facing the Realities of Stress in Dentistry
When Tragedy Strikes: How to Prepare for and Recover from a Natural Disaster
The Latex Problem: It’s More Complicated Than You Think
Why Dentists Require Specific Exercise
How Much Money Can You Make When You’re Dead?
Denture Stabilizations with Small-diameter Implants
You Should Know: CrownMen
Product Profile: Synergy
Product Profile: NuSmiles ZR
Continuing Education: The New Evolution of Chariside CAD/CAM Technology
Ad Index
In This Issue: Dry Brush Inside Bottom Teeth First
Perio Reports
Dentally Incorrect
101 Ways to Reduce Stress
Achieving Goal Congruency

Dentaltown November 2013