# 4: When last did you replace your toothbrush?
Take a look at your toothbrush… Are the bristles nice and straight? If not, it’s time to throw your toothbrush away and buy a new one!
“Every three months, you should buy yourself a new toothbrush,” say dentists in Colorado Springs. “With use, the bristles can become blunt and frayed and if they’re not sticking out at perfect 90 degree angles, they aren’t doing a good job of cleaning your teeth. We literally have patients whose toothbrushes look more like toilet cleaners, with bristles sticking out in every which direction. What they don’t know is that a frayed toothbrush is horribly ineffective at getting into the cracks and crevasses between your teeth and at cleaning the gum line.”
According to Colorado Springs dentistry professionals, you should also get rid of a toothbrush after a bout of viral infection, such as a cold or flu. The microbes that made you sick in the first place can get trapped in the bristles of your toothbrush and re-infect you after you’ve healed.
# 5: Never use your teeth as tools!
It’s common knowledge that dental enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, but this isn’t license to go ahead and use your teeth for punishing tasks.
“When we treat patients for cracked, chipped or fractured teeth, one of the main explanations for the damage is – I tried to open a bottle with my teeth,” says a Colorado Springs orthodontist. “Using your teeth to pry open containers, twist metal, open bottles and other tasks that aren’t eating and chewing are a no-no! You can very easily crack or chip a tooth using it as a tool.”
A bottle opener costs a few dollars. Dental restoration of a cracked tooth costs a few hundred dollars. You decide which is best.
# 6: How often should you REALLY see your dentist?
“Twice per year” is the advice we’ve all come to know, but did you know that this was more of a catchphrase developed by Pepsodent toothpaste? That’s not to say it’s unfounded advice… seeing your dentist and oral hygienist twice per year is a sterling plan and one that could help you keep your smile beautiful and healthy for life.
Having said that, the standard “twice per year” isn’t always applicable…
“Some of my patients have beautiful, healthy teeth. For them, it may be all right to come back for a check-up again in a year’s time, although we do recommend they see the oral hygienist for a cleaning well before then,” says an orthodontist in Colorado Springs. “Then there are patients who have full-blown gum disease and are in the throes of recovering from an advanced bacterial infection of the gums. These patients will certainly need to come in for appointments more than twice per year. We need to thoroughly clean their teeth and keep an eye on their healing progress, so frequent appointments will be necessary.”
At the end of the day, the number of times you visit your dentist per year should come down to what he or she recommendations, but if you haven’t had a check-up in more than a year, now is the time to book!
Stay tuned for a few last dental facts and stories in the final installment of this three-part article series, coming next week!
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