A: It really doesn't matter which tooth brush you use, as long as you use it ! both manual and electric tooth brushes can be equally efficient if used with the right technique.
A: Ideally adults and children should change their toothbrushes every 3 months because when a tooth brush is worn out it is much less effective at removing plaque from your teeth. Some electric tooth brushes have indicators which help you decide. If you have gum disease it is a good idea to change it every 4-6 weeks as bacteria harbor on the bristles. You should wash your toothbrush under running hot water after every use.
A: Ideally a child should have his/her first dental check up as soon as the first tooth erupts & no later than his third birthday.
A: Plaque is a sticky transparent film that keeps forming on the surfaces of teeth. When this is not removed efficiently, it begins to harden and form a calcified mass around your teeth and gums, called calculus (commonly known as tartar).This tartar if left to remain for a long time causes gum disease, various infections, and even bone loss. A professional cleaning every 6 months to a year is required to avoid all of that.
A: Halitosis- commonly known as bad breath can be a very embarrassing condition and can be caused due to various factors. The food that we eat, with strong flavors such as onions, garlic, some spices get absorbed into the blood stream and when this blood reaches the lungs, bad breath is evident from the air that we breathe out. Indigestion or constipation causes release of gasses which may escape through the mouth causing unpleasant odour.Improper brushing and flossing can also result in accumulation of food particle in the oral cavity resulting in the same. Other reasons may be gum disease, tooth decay, dry mouth or smoking.
The first signs of tooth decay usually go un-noticed by the patients. Some do experience mild sensitivity, accumulation of food and bad breadth due to presence of bacteria and food in the areas of initial tooth decay. So the ideal thing would be to have regular dental check-ups (every 6 months) which enables your dentist to catch tooth decay and other dental problems in their budding stages thereby reducing the need for extensive time consuming dental treatment.