Some people prefer

an electric toothbrush rather

than the older style manual

toothbrush. There are so

many positive enhancements

that both kinds of toothbrush-

es offer. An electric tooth-

brush is designed to work

more efficiently, remove

plaque better, and stimulate

gums. On the other hand a

manual toothbrush is much

easier to reach around the

back of the mouth, they’re

cheaper, easier to travel

with, and some have tongue

scrapers.

Many orthodontists

strongly encourage their

patients to invest in a me-

chanical toothbrush. It has

been proven that the me-

chanical toothbrush is more

effective and can get in-

between wires and brackets

better to get into those

sneaky crevices that plaque

likes to build up in. Mechani-

cal toothbrushes are also

recommended by dentists to

older patients because they

found that it is easier for them

to hold onto the brush and

brush their teeth better. Dr.

Tammy Russell, a pediatric

dentist, said that she thinks

mechanical toothbrushes are

good tools to get kids inter-

ested in brushing their teeth

because kids say that it is

more fun to use than a manu-

al toothbrush and it tickles.

The ADA, American

dental Association, says

“manual toothbrushes can be

just as effective as powered

ones. The key to preventing

tooth decay, says experts,

lies in the way a toothbrush-

electric or otherwise- is

used.” This is very true. Any

toothbrush isn’t going to do

you any good unless you use

it regularly and responsibly.

There is also a very big dif-

ference in prices between

the two; the electric tooth-

brush can be more than triple

the price of a manual. Not

only is it expensive to buy

the body part of the tooth-

brush, but it costs around $20

for three replacements.

According to the

ADA, back in the early centu-

ries, toothbrushes were con-

sidered a luxury item.

Wealthy Europeans during

the Middle Ages would use

twigs from trees to clean

their teeth. It wasn’t until

1498 that the first bristled

toothbrush was invented by

an emperor of China. It was

made from hog bristles that

were placed into a bone han-

dle. This was a very expen-

sive luxury items so a whole

family would share a tooth-

brush. These days it is con-

sidered unsanitary and un-

heard of to use the same

toothbrush as someone else.

Personally, I use an

electric toothbrush because I

feel like it does a better job

at cleaning my teeth. It does

all the work for me and I just

have to move it around my

mouth. With a manual tooth-

brush I have to do twice the

work to get the same result.

There isn’t really any good

solid answer to weather the

electric toothbrush or the

manual toothbrush is better.

So, chose the one that best

fits your personal needs and

likings and stick to brushing

your teeth at least twice a

day.

Electric Vs. Manual Toothbrushes

Brushing Twice A

Day Keeps the

Dentist Away

Cosmetic procedures in the

dental field: teeth whiten-

ing/enhancing smile.

How to brush your teeth,

and what to use to brush

them.

Fun Facts!

Daily Dental By: Samantha Urban

Volume 1, Issue 1

4/10/12

Sammi’s Corner: My

Personal Experiences

2

Foods and Drinks That

Stain Your Teeth

3

Effects Smoking and

Chewing Tobacco Have

4

What Kind of Tooth-

paste do you Use?

5

Fun Facts! 6

Inside this issue:

One of the biggest cosmetic

procedures in the dental industry is

teeth whitening; you go into the dentist

office and use a machine called the

Zoom, a lamp that is shone onto your

teeth, and you pick what shade of white

you want it to be. There are also at

home methods you can use such as

whitening strips, whitening gel, and

even household items!

Personally, I have used both

whitening strips and whitening gels.

They work amazingly well; with the

whitening strips I used one pack every

six months and it cost around $40/pack.

Through the six months, my smiled

stayed just how it was the first week

after using them until it was time to do

another treatment. The whitening gel,

on the other hand, I found not to last as

long, and my teeth started to stain and

darken after about 2 months of an over-

night use

of the

whitening

gel. I pur-

chased

the gel

from my

orthodon-

tist. Un-

like the whitening strips where you had

to place around your teeth and throw it

away the next morning for 30 days, the

gel I did once every 2-3 months. The

gel came in little syringe, and I put the

gel inside my retainers and wore them

over night.

Whitening strips and gels can

get very expensive, but there are some

inexpensive household items that can

be used to enhance the brightness of

your smile. Baking soda whitens teeth

by scraping off the yellow and brow

stains by lightening them and giving off

a much brighter, whiter appearance.

Baking soda, though, is quite harsh on

teeth and cause damage by weakening

the enamel if used too often. Another

inexpensive agent costs about $3, and it

is liquid ear wax remover! Dr. Carl Rus-

sell, an orthodontist off Hickory Flat

Highway, said that the chemical car-

bide peroxide is the same chemical

used in whitening treatments that

brighten smiles.

Some helpful tips on teeth

whitening are three things: toothpaste,

how much whitening is too much, and

negative effects of whitening agents.

Whitening toothpaste is a whitening

supplement to whitening treatments.

Many times, whitening toothpastes are

designed to help lift stains off teeth in

between whitening treatments to help

keep that first treatment look. Another

helpful tip is commonly concerned with

in office treatment Zoom, on how to

create the best and most natural look

for your teeth. Dr. Stuart Loos, an ortho-

dontist located off Riverstone Parkway,

said that no one should get their teeth

whiter than the white part of your eye.

So to get the best and most natural look

is to match the whiteness of your teeth

to how white the outside of your eyes

are.

Along with whitening treat-

ments come some negative effects. For

many people whitening causes teeth

sensitivity, enamel erosion, and some-

times splotchy white specks. Many

times this is caused by excessive use of

whitening agents, but precautions

should be taken to protect the health of

your teeth because the most important

thing is to have strong healthy teeth.

I was born with a genetic con-

dition that causes a discoloration in

certain spots of my teeth. I felt so inse-

cure about them, and I hated to smile.

Not only where my teeth extremely

yellow, but the two front teeth had large

white spots in the middle of them. By

using the whitening strips it gave me

more confidence and the ability to

smile without worrying. People noticed

right away the difference, and it was the

best feeling I had ever had. My insecu-

rities were gone, although it's not just a

one and done deal. Whitening needs

constant up keep, and it is something

you have to do continuously.

Sammi’s Corner: My Personal Experiences With Teeth Whitening Enhancements

Page 2 Daily Dental

Before

After

Acids, dark drinks and foods,

pigmented molecules (stout colors),

deep colored sauces, and carbonated

drinks contribute to the stains that

appear on your teeth. Why does this

happen? This is because the foods and

drinks we consume bind to our teeth

and give off the yellowish appear-

ance.

Drinks such as tea can stain

teeth just as much as coffee does.

Studies have found that even herbal

and white

teas could

wear down

enamel and

cause tooth

staining just

as much as

the dark color

of the basic

black tea.

Drinks with acid in them lead

to tooth discoloration. Sport and ener-

gy drinks are highly acidic ultimately

contributing to erosion of enamel

leading the way to staining your teeth.

So to prevent staining caused by these

drinks, stick to water as a better

choice to exercise and play sports

with.

There is a Crest White Tooth-

paste commercial about a lady’s boss

telling her to stay away from red

wines because they will stain her

teeth. This is very true; if it stains a

white t-shirt, why wouldn’t it stain your

teeth? Red wine is also an acidic drink

with powerful pigmented molecules

called tannins and chromogens. White

wine is also acidic and even though it

does not have the staining pigmented

molecules in it, it is acidic and can

lead to stains as well.

The acidity in carbonated

drinks is found to be as intense as bat-

tery acid! Sodas have acid and chro-

mogens that lead to serious stains, and

even the lighter colored sodas, such

as Sprite, are acidic enough to stain

teeth. To make it even worse, sodas

are very addictive, because of the

caffeine, making it difficult for some

people to steer away from drinking

them.

Blueberries, blackberries,

cherries, pomegranates, and other

vividly colored fruits can stain teeth

because of the pigmented molecules

in them that stick to the enamel in your

teeth. So fruit pies and fruit juices can

cause stains; fruits with less pigmenta-

tion are less likely to stain teeth. The-

se fruits include light colored foods

such as white grapes and oranges.

Dark sauces such as soy

sauce, tomato sauce, and jellies and

jams have the potential to cause stain-

ing. Just like red wines and the ber-

ries, these sauces bind to the enamel

and weaken it and eventually staining

the teeth.

A lot of times you see little

kids with bright colored red, blue, or

green suckers with temporarily

stained tongue, lips and teeth. They

do contain teeth staining proxies, but

unless you eat them all the time they

won’t stain your teeth much. Other

things such as popsicles and chewing

gum are similar.

There are some ways to pre-

vent the drinks you love from staining

your teeth, such as using a straw

which should help keep these staining

drinks away from the front of your

teeth and reduce the risk of stains.

Also, swishing water after eating a

stain-causing food or drink will help

prevent foods and drink from staining

your teeth. As always, brushing is the

best answer. Brushing your teeth after

every meal is the best thing you can

do to prevent staining.

The acidity in carbonated drinks is

found to be as intense as battery

acid!

Page 3

Foods and Drinks That Stain Your Teeth

There is a warning label on

the side of every cigarette box that

says, “Warning. Cigarette smoking

may be hazardous to your health.”

When really dentists wish they would

also put, “Warning. Smoking may

cause yellowing of the teeth, gum dis-

ease, and mouth cancer.”

Tobacco use is the number

one cause of premature death in the

United States. Yet, about 45 million

Americans are addicted to this dan-

gerous drug. Not only is it addictive

and causes severe health problems, it

also causes problems with the mouth.

Many times one can tell if a person

smokes just by the looking at their

teeth.

Tobacco

can

cause

discolor-

ations of

the teeth

such as

turning

yellow,

black, or

brown, and bad breath. Dr. Bayne, my

dentist, explained how “smoking turns

your teeth yellow by leaving sticky tar

deposits which can also cause brown

stains.” Smoking and chewing tobac-

co causes the gum line to recede, and

gums appear to look a little thin and

red which can results in gum disease

leading to tooth and bone loss. Smok-

ing also causes a buildup of tartar on

the teeth making it difficult for the

dental hygienist to clean the teeth;

which, often causes a very uncomfort-

able and painful experience for the

patient. Furthermore, it delays healing

after a cleaning of the injured tissues

in the mouth can cause ulcers or per-

manently damaged tissues. Smoking

as well was chewing tobacco, accord-

ing to dentalgentlecare.com, causes

75% of all oral cancers in the mouth,

pharynx, larynx, and esophagus. And,

people who smoke one pack a day are

16 times more likely than non-

smokers to develop cancer.

The first and best step to

keeping your mouth and teeth in best

condition is to stop smoking. Then,

most dentists recommend

a regular checkup every 3 months for

oral cancer examinations and profes-

sional cleanings. Keep up with brush-

ing teeth twice a day, and in cases

such as chewing tobacco brush espe-

cially good in areas where you

chewed.

Interesting fact, you swallow

3,000 times a day while awake, but

while you are sleeping you only swal-

low 30 times a night creating the per-

fect environment for dental decay. It is

important to brush for about 2-5

minutes because brushing for a cou-

ple of seconds isn’t going to do any

good.

According to Dr. Russell

flossing is one of the most important

aspects of cleaning your teeth. He is

an orthodontist and he sees the effects

of the lack of flossing, such as gum

irritation between teeth, and ultimate-

ly gingivitis. On average only 33% of

people floss at least once a day.

Mouthwash is also a great tool to use

to help fight and clean out the bacteria

missed while brushing, furthering the

recovery of damages causes by smok-

ing and chewing tobacco. Do self-oral

cancer examinations by checking for

sores on the face, neck or mouth. Look

for white, red or dark patches in your

mouth, and look for discoloration or

lumps on the roof of your mouth. Also

watch for swellings, lumps or bumps

on your lips and around the mouth.

Numbness, pain or loss of feeling in

any area of the mouth can be a sign of

cancer or permanent nerve damage. If

anything unusual is found immediately

call your dentist and get it checked

out.

Effects Smoking and Chewing Tobacco Have On Your Teeth

“You inhale more than

4,000 chemicals each

time you smoke a

cigarette.

Page 4 Daily Dental

There are so many different kinds of toothpaste out there to use. So

how do you know which one is the best one for you? When I surveyed 135

people on what kind of toothpaste they use I also asked why they used it. The

most common answer I got was they liked the taste of it. The mostly widely

used toothpaste is the generic kind such as the SparkleFresh toothpaste

shown on the picture to the right. Participants said they used it because they

thought that the brand of toothpaste didn’t really matter, they all do the same

thing and they’re not really that different. Is this true?

When looking for the type of toothpaste is best for you to use, most of

the time it doesn’t really matter the brand. Most of the toothpaste on the mar-

ket contain the required ingredients recommended by the American Dental

Association. So don’t worry about finding the best brand of toothpaste, be-

cause for the most part, it doesn’t matter which brand you use.

Page 5

What Kind of Toothpaste do you Use?

Crest

Colgate Total

Whitening Toothpaste

Generic Brand

Aquafresh

Thank you to my project facilitator Mr. Bradford, you

have helped me by editing my articles, and tremen-

dously improved my writing skills.

Thank you to Dr. Carl Russell, Dr. Tammy Russell, Dr.

Bayne, and Dr. Loos. Thank you for taking time for me

to interview you and give me better insight into the

dental industry and giving me reliable facts.

Samantha Leann Urban

brush was made in 1938.

* You are supposed to replace

your toothbrush after you have

had an episode of the flu, cold, or

other viral infections. Microbes

can implant themselves on the

toothbrush bristles leading to re-

infection.

* 50% consider the smile the first

facial feature they notice.

*During the roaring '20s, mouth-

wash products were also used as

treatment for dry scalp, after-

shave lotion and even as a form of

beauty cleanser.

*An elephant’s tooth can weigh

more than 6 pounds!

* You are not supposed to keep

your toothbrush within 6 feet of a

toilet. The airborne particles from

the flush can travel up to a dis-

tance of 6 feet.

* The commonly used practice of

putting a cap on a toothbrush is

actually more detrimental. The

moisture building up in the cap

favors bacterial growth.

* People who tend to drink 3 or

more glasses of soda daily have

62% more tooth decay, fillings,

and tooth loss than others.

* The first toothbrush with bristles

was manufactured in China in

1498. The hair from hogs, horses,

and badgers were used. The first

commercial, modern day tooth-

* An average American spends 38.5

total days in their lifetime brushing

their teeth.

* Like fingerprints, everyone’s

tongue print is different.

* Tooth decay remains the most

common chronic disease among

children ages 5-17– 59%.

* About 98% of the nation’s dental

hygienists are female.

* The average amount of floss

bought per person is about 18 yards

per year. The amount that should be

bought per person is 122 yards;

about one foot per day.

* Before the invention of modern

day toothpaste people used to use

ground-up chalk or charcoal, lemon

juice, the ashes from a leftover fire,

and tobacco and honey mixed to-

gether to brush their teeth.

* Your mouth produces an average

of 1 to 2 quarts of saliva each day,

over 25,000 quarts in a lifetime–

enough to fill two swimming pools.

Fun Facts!

The newsletter reflects the

knowledge I have obtained from

research and interviewing

dentists and orthodontists. I will

be going to Gainesville State

College in the fall of 2012 to

obtain my dental hygienist

degree.

Brushing Twice a Day Keeps the Dentist Away!