Etown Dental Blog

At Elizabethtown Dental Associates, family dentist Dr. Ed White is often asked how to choose the most basic tool of oral hygiene, the toothbrush. Picking a toothbrush in Elizabethtown can be as difficult as choosing a paint color, and there seems to be just as many choices.

If you have visited the dental section of your local Hershey or Elizabethtown grocery store or Leola Walmart lately, you know what I am talking about. There are brushes with bristles of varying lengths, brushes that massage your gums, and brushes that change color when they are used up.

Some toothbrush manufacturers claim their brushes freshen your breath or remove stains from your teeth. How do you choose?

One key factor is the firmness of the bristles. Hard bristles may be more effective for cleaning burnt steak off a grill or hard water deposits off a shower floor. However, this does not hold true for your teeth. Medium and firm brushes can damage your gums. Soft and extra-soft bristles are plenty stiff enough to clean plague, food particles, and surface stains from your teeth. Soft bristles also offer more flexibility for hard-to-reach nooks and crannies.

After having dental work or oral surgery, especially anything involving soft tissue grafts, make sure you use an extra-soft brush and be careful!

When buying a toothbrush for a child, make sure the brush feels comfortable in their hand. If the size and angle feels awkward, the child will be less likely to use it long enough to clean all areas of the mouth. Children do not necessarily need a child-sized tooth brush. Some kids can manage an adult size brush better than a short, narrow child size brush. If you are unsure, ask your Elizabethtown family dentist at Elizabethtown Dental Associates.

What about the electric types and water-shooters? Some Elizabethtown folks like the feeling of vibrating bristles or a mini-squirt gun blasting away at the plaque. People with arthritis or other movement-inhibiting conditions can benefit from powered brushes which take some strain off hands and arm muscles.

Is your toothbrush doing the job? Schedule an exam with your Elizabethtown family dentist at Elizabethtown Dental Associates.

At Elizabethtown Dental Associates, our caring and professional dental hygienists instruct our Elizabethtown pediatric clients and adult patients on proper brushing and flossing. If you haven’t experienced a dental deep cleaning at Elizabethtown Dental Associates, you don’t know how clean your teeth and gums can feel.

Schedule a thorough dental cleaning today by calling Elizabethtown Dental Associates at 717-367-1336. An outstanding feature of Elizabethtown Dental Associates is warm, caring and personalized approach to providing the best dental care. We offer porcelain veneers and a full spectrum of restorative dental procedures.

We advise our Elizabethtown dental clients at Elizabethtown Dental Associates to watch their sugar intake to prevent cavities and other health problems.

If you are trying to unsweeten your diet, you are probably skipping the usual suspects: candy, soda, and baked treats. But not all sugar is as obvious as the frosting on a piece of chocolate cake or the powdery stuff in pixie stix.

Here are some foods found in Manheim grocery stores and Hershey school cafeterias with a surprisingly high sugar content:

• Ketchup
• Low Fat versions of snack foods (Manufacturers often replace fat with sugar.)
• Salad Dressing
• Breads, buns, rolls
• Spaghetti Sauce
• Protein Bars
• Granola
• Canned soup
• Peanut Butter
• Yogurt
• Fast food meals (Hamburgers, fries, sandwiches, and salads are often loaded with sugar, not to mention the dessert items.)
• Antacids
• Cough drops
• Fruit smoothies (Even a small serving has a whopping amount of sugar.)

Reading the fine print on labels is a must. The following terms are all types of sugar:

raw sugar, cane sugar, glucose, lactose, galactose, fructose, dextrose, honey, sorghum, molasses, cane sugar, confectioner’s sugar, crystallized cane juice, invert sugar, maltodextrin (or dextrin), maple syrup, concentrated fruit juices, evaporated cane juice (what kind of cane do you think we are talking about?)

Do the math: when shopping at Elizabethtown markets or health food stores, carefully decipher food labels before you buy. Four grams of sugar equals one teaspoon. Add up all the grams of every type of sugar listed and divide by four to truly understand how much sugar an item contains.

At Elizabethtown Dental Associates, we advocate and practice preventative care for lifelong dental health at our family dentistry practice. For more information on how your diet affects your dental health, contact us at 717-367-1336. If you have a toddler or child who has not yet visited a dentist, call us today for a pediatric oral examination and information on fluoride and dental sealants.

We are located at 100 Continental Drive in Elizabethtown.

Do you suspect that you have bad breath? I’m Dr. Ed White of Elizabethtown Dental Associates, a full-service family dentistry office in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. I help our dental patients diagnose and overcome this unpleasant and potentially embarrassing condition.

Halitosis is caused by the bacteria that live on and around your teeth, gums and tongue. Breath mints and mouthwashes do not cure bad breath, they only mask the symptoms. Proper oral hygiene can cure many cases of bad breath. However, in some cases, bad breath is caused by more serious conditions. Sinus and tonsil infections, acid reflux, ulcers, diabetes, hypoglycemia, kidney malfunction, and eating disorders are just some of the health issues that can cause bad breath.

If you have bad breath, the first thing to do is make sure you are cleaning your teeth, gums and tongue thoroughly. This does not mean you should brush as long and forcefully as possible. Brushing too vigorously can harm gums and contribute to gum recession. At Elizabethtown Dental Associates, we help patients of all ages learn safe and effective brushing, flossing and tongue cleaning methods.

And don’t forget regular professional cleanings. Our friendly dental hygienist is trained in the latest and most effective deep-cleaning procedures. Your teeth feel so good after being cleaned professionally!

To make an appointment for an exam, cleaning or consultation, call 717-367-1336. Your teeth are too important to neglect.  We also offer cosmetic dentistry and sedation dentistry services.