Meadowlark Dental Care Blog

The holiday season starts with Halloween and sugar and candy galore. Then comes Thanksgiving with baked confectioneries and other good foods. This continues through the end of the year and into the New Year. We all love it, but by the end of it, our toothbrushes may be getting a little tired. (Remember to brush AT LEAST twice per day for two minutes and after snacks or meals especially ones containing all those yummy sugars!) Here are a few ways to take care of your toothbrush during it's busiest season: If your toothbrush looks like this it may be time to replace it! Store your toothbrush in the open air. Toothbrushes like to be thoroughly rinsed with water after being in your mouth and they don't like to be encased where they can't dry out after use. They also like their space - stand them upright and don't let them touch other toothbrushes. By storing your toothbrush this way you are minimizing the amount of bacteria on your toothbrush for your next clean...

Happy Halloween! Halloween, a sugarpalooza, is a lot of kids' favorite time of the year! Sugar galore, fun costumes, and more sugar are the hallmark traits of this holiday. With sugar abounding, how can your teeth even stand a chance to stay healthy? Here are a few tricks for the treats to help prevent extra trips to the dentist this season: 1. Avoid sticky or hard candies.  Any candy that is going to stay on your teeth for an extended period of time is the worst type you can have for your teeth. Sticky candies are harder to get off your teeth so all of that sugar gets extra time to feed cavity-causing bacteria. Hard candies can do the same thing if they are sucked on, but also have an additional draw back in that they are the cause of many a broken tooth when attempted to be chewed. If these are your favorite kind of candies, just make sure that you brush right after eating them and never chew hard candies. 2. Don't snack on candy. The more often you snack on s...

Happy Early Labor Day! With the new school year lurking in the back of everyone's minds, now is the best time to start on those healthy habits, like brushing your teeth, with your kids. Can you already hear the waterworks and tantrums start when you even think of mentioning it's time to brush teeth? Hopefully this post helps to t urn brushing time from                                       this:                                                                                                            to this! Here are five tips and tricks to making those 4 minutes per day a little more enjoyable for everyone: Make...

Is an electric toothbrush better than a regular bristle brush? This really depends how good you are with your brushing technique, but even someone brushing correctly should notice less plaque with a good electric toothbrush. A Consumer Report published August 28, 2015 states, " Compared with manual toothbrushes, electrics reduced dental plaque 21 percent more and gingivitis (i.e., inflammation of the gums) 11 percent more after three months of use." As far as electric toothbrushes go, I like Philips Sonicare Flexcare and Oral-B Genius. There are lots of comparisons out there for Sonicare verses Oral-B, I don't intend to reinvent the wheel with a new study, but if you would like to look at the differences between each here are some links to reports that have compared them: http://www.bestelectrictoothbrushlab.com/oral-b-vs-sonicare-comparison/ http://www.bestelectrictoothbrushlist.com/ https://www.reviews.com/best-electric-toothbrush/ Note that the fi...

Brushing your teeth and flossing are no-brainers to dental professionals, but to a lot of people they can be hard habits to form. Whether it's the daunting time commitment or simply just forgetting, starting and keeping these healthy habits can be tricky. If motivation is lacking, it is important to know that these practices, though simple, are actually the most important things you can do for the health of your mouth. The  Journal of Dental Research   study in October 2016 made it clear there is a direct correlation between how frequently you brush and the number of cavities you get. The more you brush, typically, the less cavities you will form. Brushing and especially flossing will also help you to prevent gum disease. So, how often should you brush to keep your teeth happy and healthy? A standard recommendation is to brush twice per day and floss once per day. All mouths are different and some may need a little more TLC. Try to brush for at least two minutes....