Did you know there are over-the-counter oral hygiene tools available that can harm your smile and alter your oral health? Well, it’s true. Therefore, it’s important to do all you can to select the best and safest oral hygiene tools available to clean your smile. To help you, our Robert P. Sherman dental team encourages you to avoid these products:
Over-the-counter scalers are one of the products that can damage your mouth. Without knowing how to properly use a scaler, you could harm your teeth and gums and suffer chipped teeth, irritated gums, sensitive teeth, and dental abscesses. The only people who should be using a scaler are your professional dental team, such as Dr. Robert P. Sherman and your dental hygienist!
Hard-bristled toothbrushes are also dental products that are misunderstood. They tend to sound tough and effective because of the hard bristles, but that is not the case. The hard bristles are harmful to your mouth because they can wear away your tooth enamel (promoting tooth decay and sensitivity) and irritate the gums (making them move away from your teeth). The best tool to use to clean your smile is a soft-bristled toothbrush. This tool safely and effectively cleans your teeth and takes good care of your oral tissues.
Lastly, you should avoid using products that don’t have the American Dental Association Seal of Acceptance. The ADA tests oral hygiene products for their safety and effectiveness in an oral hygiene routine. If the product passed the test, it receives the right to print the ADA seal of approval on the label. If you use smile-cleaning tools that do not have this stamp of approval, you could be putting your teeth and gums in danger.
Call our office today at 913-685-2171 if you have any questions or if you would like to know more about oral hygiene tools and instruments in Leawood, Kansas. Our dental team will be happy to meet with you and tell you the best and safest oral hygiene tools that will help you reach your smile goals. We look forward to helping you!