With a myriad of dental products at your fingertips these days- it can get overwhelming to choose what is best for you. We spoke about the different toothpastes available and what you should be looking for and choosing- https://www.summitdentalclinic.org/blog/choosing-therighttoothpaste. After getting a great feedback on how useful that article was- we decided to write a little more on what dental products you should be using to keep your mouth healthy !

• MANUAL TOOTHBRUSH- These toothbrushes are great provided you know the right technique to brush your teeth. Manual brushes are now customised for your needs- e.g.: plaque removal, gum massager, different lengths etc. The only thing you should keep in mind when choosing a toothbrush is that it should be a SOFT or EXTRA SOFT one. Using anything harder can cause gum recession as well as wear away your enamel over time resulting in sensitivity.

• ELECTRIC or BATTERY OPERATED TOOTHBRUSH- Many studies have proved that an electric brush is better than manual in plaque and tartar removal. These brushes also come with many added benefits such as pressure indicating ,i.e., if you are putting too much pressure while brushing (which is not needed)- the toothbrush either starts beeping or the oscillations reduce indicating that you should reduce the force applied. Second advantage is that some brushes come with a timer which will either stop after 2 minutes or beep every 30 seconds to let you know the time taken. Ideally you should not be brushing more than 2 minutes.

• MOUTHWASH- Honestly, we are NOT big advocates of mouthwashes. They are meant to be anti-bactireal, however, they will attack even the good bacteria in your mouth which can cause an equilibrium shift. The second reason we do not like mouthwashes is that they can stain composite restorations over time. And third- mouthwashes contain alcohol which can dry out your mouth resulting in increased susceptibility to dental decay and gum disease.

• FLOSS- This is our favourite dental product! When used regularly and well-you can almost guarantee good oral hygiene. Dental floss comes in a variety of forms and even flavours- it honestly does not matter as long as you are using it regularly. We also have AIR FLOSSERS which is extremely useful for people with dental implants and gum disease. The popular WATER FLOSSER is recommended for everyone and helps keeps your gums and teeth healthy especially in areas of restorations and tight contacts.

Now that you know the different products available, visit Summit Dental Clinic to know which one is good for you. But remember that none of these products is a substitute for your oral cleaning/ prophylaxis procedure required every six months!