Brace Face

CHOO-CHOO!

I’m 41. I just had braces put on. Not Invisalign, or any of the million other invisible brands out there.  I can’t keep track.  More on that later. No porcelain brackets that make them seem a little less, well, obvious. No, I now have metal brackets and wires likely to set off any metal detector! (That’s a joke, I tested it)

I have full on railroad tracks! In the words of George Takei, “Oh my!”

So why did I do it?

My smile, far from perfect pre-braces, didn’t need much in the way of improvement. Sure, I had a bit of crowding, a bit of wear and tear here and there. In truth, I did it because even thought they were somewhat straight, they were aligned incorrectly! Over time, two children and a practice sale and retirement later, my lower incisors (those ones in the middle) were worn down nearly 50%! You know the expression, “long in the tooth” (for those who haven’t, it means old), the wear I was experiencing is a similar concept.  I had the wear patterns of a 70 year old.

So, thanks to my trusty orthodontist and friend, Dr. Paul, I’m finally doing what I had put off doing.  I am taking care of myself.

Choo-choo!

Flossing - Part 2: To Wax or Unwax, That is The Question….

There are different kinds of floss. Some prefer to use Unwaxed (my hand is fully raised for this one), whereas some prefer waxed, or even teflon tape. You get the picture.

Bottom line?

Whatever is going to get you and your kids to floss on a daily basis is the one you should pick! Believe me, if you don’t like it, you won’t use it, no matter what I tell you. Most show a similar degree of effectiveness, and it’s all a matter of personal preference. So find what works best for you.

Now, first, let’s talk about Unwaxed.

Yeah, not much sets it apart from a piece of string, except that it’s woven to a dimension that allows one to easily place it between your teeth. Oh, and it’s cheap. This is my personal favorite. It makes the squeak squeak sound when you’ve actually cleaned your teeth. I’m a dentist, I like confirmation that I’ve done the work necessary. But it’s not for everyone. If you have teeth that are “tight” then you may also shred it like crazy.

Let me tell you a little story.

My husband, bless his heart, routinely becomes a flossing maniac the week before and after the time he has his teeth cleaned. Yeah, we dentists know you do it. He ran out of the Teflon stuff that he likes to use, and went to use mine, complaining the whole way. In doing this, a piece broke off as he was doing it, and lodged itself between his back two molars. After many cries in agony of feeling the wedging effect of his two molars, I finally had to intervene. Now, it was hard to get out, even for me, a licensed professional, with the various instruments I have kept at my house over the years.

Bottom line, if you tear it regularly when you floss, unwaxed is probably not the way to go.

Waxed Floss

As the name implies, this floss is coated with a waxy substance that allows it to “glide” evenly between the teeth (the quotations are used to separate it from the name brand Glide floss, which is teflon coated…I know, confusing). This used to be the most commonly used floss for those who couldn’t stand unwaxed. That is, until the advent of Teflon-like floss. And why has it come out of style?

The simple reason, because it’s huge!

I for one have pain in my teeth after using it, hence my preference for the unwaxed stuff. But that’s just it. Preference. The bonus? Most waxed flosses come with flavors. So if you have like having a cinamon flavor, or even peppermint, the waxed stuff is your jam!

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Flossing - Part One: Why Do I Have to Put String Around My Teeth?

I have a confession to make.  And this might get me excommunicated from the dental community writ large, so I’ll just come out and say it.

I hate flossing.  Like really hate flossing.

Gasp.

I know!  It’s really bad.  How can I spend my days telling people to floss when I hate doing it myself?

Now I didn’t say I never do it. I just hate doing it.

If you’re anything like me, I have to know the reason behind doing something rather than accepting something because “it’s how it’s always done”.  Trust me, I was not a fun child to have, (sorry mom), and I am presently on the receiving end of karmic retribution with my six year old. 

But I digress.

So okay, flossing.  Why do we have to do it?

Because, if you didn’t, it’d be like taking a shower for only the top half of your body, leaving the bottom part unwashed.  

Ew!

Without flossing, you are leaving food particles that literally rot in the pockets between your teeth.  

Our mouths are literally teeming with bacteria that congregate around the folds of tissue around our teeth and cause infections in our gums.

Are you grossed out yet?  Good. 

Now you understand why we tell you to do it.  This is what I saw on a daily basis with my patients.  Plus, it’s just healthier that way.

That’s why we floss.  Our toothbrushes are only doing part of the job of keeping our mouths clean.  The bristles just can’t physically get into the little nooks and crannies between our teeth, and last time I checked, there just hasn’t been a good substitute for it. 

In children’s teeth, there’s a reason I know AB, IJ, KL, ST.  (Baby teeth are lettered instead of numbered)  Those are the baby teeth that have contact points, and consequently, the teeth I mainly worked on!  Now that my children are losing their baby teeth, I struggle with remembering which mandibular central incisor is which.  Truly.

Next time: What kind of floss is best, or should I just get out the knitting yarn?

Please comment below and leave questions that I hope to answer in coming articles!

Once a dentist always a dentist!

If someone were to tell me five years ago that I would be writing a blog about dentistry, and not actually practicing dentistry anymore, I’d have thought them nuts!  Of course I had no idea what a blog even was at that point, being completely immersed in the teeth-drilling and filling and billing business.  I owned a thriving dental practice and was doing my best juggling act at owning a business with having two young children, one of whom was still in diapers.  

My toddler daughter was entering the terrible twos, my older daughter was finally done being a “three-nager” (those of you whose kids haven’t entered that stage, brace yourselves for a world of hurt-sorry).  I knew how to raise my mommy voice to just the right amount of anger to show my kids I meant business, all the while running a practice, managing staff, taking continuing education to better myself.

I was finally figuring things out!

Well, then, let’s just say that the universe has a dark sense of humor. Three years ago I literally tripped over my own two feet and injured my “drilling hand”, and after a painstaking effort (emphasis on pain) at getting better, it was good-bye dentistry and hello to early retirement!

My last year has been spent playing stay-at-home mom, making up for lost time I suppose. I volunteer in their classrooms, take them to all of their music lessons, ballet classes, karate, etc. I cook and clean, pour through Pinterest for Halloween costumes that I will sew by hand. Okay, that last part was a total exaggeration, but you get the point. 

But being the type A, lapsed-career-woman that I am, I thought, now what?

After the chaos of my previous life, I thought, how can I use my knowledge for some good? 

Almost daily, I am asked various questions from parents about their children’s teeth. From the simple to the more complex. I had a good friend suggest a blog. I like to write. So here I am!

When I was in dental school, I was taught to teach people the ideal way to do things. You brush and floss twice a day, visit your dentist twice a year (some more than that..I’ll get to that at a later blog entry), change your toothbrush head every three months. I could go on but you get the point.

But once you venture into the business of being a mom, you quickly realize that sometimes you have to throw all those attempts at being perfect out the proverbial window. Attaining those ideals were fine for us before we had children (okay, so maybe for some of us).

But we don’t live in a perfect world, and corners will be cut in some places. So where do we cut them without putting our children’s teeth at risk for problems?

Did you know that you don’t have to floss every tooth? Did you know that you should floss before you brush? (before you start asking me “why” I will tell you that I’ll get into the specifics about these things in later posts, so hang tight!)

Those pesky questions that seem so basic but you have been intimidated to ask.  That’s what I’m here for!

Please leave comments below for future topics you’d like to hear about, because there are many!