Description

Dr. Greg Diamond is here to teach us the ABC's on properly cleaning our teeth and having that beautiful, clean, and sparkling smile that we all desire.

Transcript

Rhiannon Ally: For most of us brushing our teeth is second nature. It's the first thing you do when you wake up and then it's the last thing you do before you got to bed. But listen to this; most adults actually fail in the oral hygiene department. So we are here to help. New York City Periodontist Dr. Greg Diamond is here to teach us all the A, B, Cs on properly cleaning our teeth and getting that beautiful smile that all of us want and of course we will trust him. Look at his smile, it looks great! Dr Greg Diamond: Thank you Rhiannon. Rhiannon Ally: So, of course we have to trust you. So right out the gate, I thought the main reason you brush your teeth was for cavities but it has turned out that's not true. Dr Greg Diamond: Absolutely not. Really the main reason we are brushing today is to reduce inflammation and prevent periodontal disease. Rhiannon Ally: Ooh, and that's a very serious thing as you get older, I know that. So let's talk the basics. I thought our toothbrush all over created equal but that's not the case. Dr Greg Diamond: No, not at all. Rhiannon Ally: Of course not. Dr Greg Diamond: We actually have different styles, we have different heads and what we recommend is the use of a small bristle tooth brush because of the easiness to get to the back of the mouth. Rhiannon Ally: Ahh, so with the bigger one, it's a little more difficult to get back there. Dr Greg Diamond: Very difficult. Those are high tech tooth brushes that are sitting out there; the people love because they look great. Rhiannon Ally: Okay. Dr Greg Diamond: But actually the best on the market are the small bristles. Rhiannon Ally: Okay, so what about actually brushing? Is there a certain technique that you recommend? Dr Greg Diamond: Generally we recommend a 2 min cycle of toothbrushes. Rhiannon Ally: Okay, I had always at once. You need to do 2 minutes. Dr Greg Diamond: Absolutely. We know that it takes about 2 minutes to remove that bacteria on the teeth which create the inflammation and the way we generally brush is we take in - we usually use an electric toothbrush and we will use this brush on a 45 degree angle both on a gum and a tooth. Rhiannon Ally: Okay. Dr Greg Diamond: The advantage of doing that it removes the bacteria on the gum and the tooth to prevent that inflammation. Rhiannon Ally: Okay. Dr Greg Diamond: And we hold that for approximately 2 minutes and we have this great little timer here which actually can sing, it plays games in a less for 2 minutes. Rhiannon Ally: Especially for kids. People will really like that. Dr Greg Diamond: They love, they love. Rhiannon Ally: Okay, so what about flossing? I always hear you need to floss every single day. Do we? Dr Greg Diamond: Well, flossing is a necessity but the floss comes in, whether its waxed, unwaxed. There are so many different types of flosses, it really doesn't matter except if you had very tight contacts and you couldn't get the floss between the teeth. One of the things we always recommend is that flossing is done in an upward and downward motion. We actually form a C around the tooth, almost in a hacksaw type of motion and we always extend that floss under the gum tissue. The reason being we want to remove that bacteria between the interface between the gum and that teeth. Rhiannon Ally: All those little food crevices. Dr Greg Diamond: All those bumps - Rhiannon Ally: So what if you don't like normal floss? There are other ways and other things you can use, right? Dr Greg Diamond: Absolutely, we have all kinds of instruments today. We have something called interdental brushes. These are great and they come in different sizes. Rhiannon Ally: These. Dr Greg Diamond: Yes. These are fantastic. These can be used instead of floss because they clean between the teeth; they clean the cracks between the teeth, the grooves and more importantly, the patients with braces, patients who have wires on their teeth. Rhiannon Ally: Ohh, okay. Dr Greg Diamond: Great instrument. Rhiannon Ally: You need those if you have some thing like that. Dr Greg Diamond: Fantastic. Rhiannon Ally: Okay so there are lots of options for flossing. Now this is a big one because I have to show you what I am drinking today. Bottle water and a lot of people out there drink bottle water constantly. Dr Greg Diamond: Everybody drinks water bottle. Rhiannon Ally: I know. Dr Greg Diamond: I drink bottle water. Rhiannon Ally: You do but it's bad for our teeth. Dr Greg Diamond: Well, its not that it is bad for our teeth. We don't get the fluoride that we need from bottle water. So we have different devices on the market that we can hook up to our faucets and we can fill the water, remove the bacteria yet the fluoride can still come out and drinking way. So you can still have your water ten times a day that keeps you happy. Its there. Rhiannon Ally: Okay so what about a mouth wash? Is that important? Dr Greg Diamond: Mouth washes are fabulous. I recommend everybody to use the mouth wash. There are different types of mouthwashes. They are made out of natural ingredients, some have alcohol, it just depends on patients what they prefer at any given time. Rhiannon Ally: Okay. Dr Greg Diamond: But every patient, every patient should be using one. Rhiannon Ally: Okay, well all great tips now we know about brushing our teeth. And for other ways to get those perfect pearly whites, go to BetterTV.com and click on the link. Thanks again.