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Every Mouth Is Different: Oral Hygiene Tailored to You!

No two of us are alike. We all have our own smiles, speech patterns, eye and hair colorings. But we're just now beginning to learn how unique our mouth environments really are. Turns out, they're as distinctively different as fingerprints.

One patient can go a year between checkups, while another might need to return as often as every six weeks for teeth cleaning. The difference? The unique bacterial/chemical mix of each person's mouth. Professionally we call these differences "individualization."

Tartar builders, cavity creators

"Individualization" accounts for the fact that some mouths are genetically and chemically programmed to create tartar buildups, while others barely produce tartar at all. These genetic "signatures" even extend to tooth decay. There are patients who - despite their best efforts - appear cavity susceptible.

Older patients, special needs

Mouths, like people, are affected by years as well as by genes. If you're over 60, your oral chemistry is changing - and thorough examinations of gums and salivary glands can be a lifesaving early detector of oral cancer or other disease.

Patients over 55 develop twice as many cavities as children do. Many times that's because medications seniors take reduce saliva flow and dry the mouth - an open invitation for tooth decay and periodontal disease.

What should you expect from a visit to your dental hygienist? Along with your dental cleaning you may need professional scaling and root planing to remove harmful plaque and calculus deposits. He or she may also record the depths of your periodontal pockets (that space between your teeth and gums where decay and periodontal disease flourish).

Keeping track of you is a key part of the hygienist's job. It includes keeping your dental chart and health history current, making preliminary oral inspections, and creating tooth impressions.

Your hygienist is also an educator - someone who can teach you preventive dentistry skills - brushing and flossing techniques that make for healthy, trouble-free gums and teeth. Together, you two can make an unbeatable team!

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.

Scraping Your Way to a Healthier Mouth: The Benefits of Tongue Scraping

Want to reduce bad breath, gum problems and tooth decay? Grab a tongue scraper! While the practice of removing food and bacteria trapped between your taste buds has been recognized and recommended by dentists for half a century, true tongue scraping is a relatively new phenomenon. Perhaps its sharp increase in popularity is the result of recent studies touting about all the wonderful things that come from removing all that "gunk," including healthier teeth and gums and sweeter smelling breath.

Tongue scraping is an easy way to improve your oral hygiene. People with bad breath, particularly smokers or those with a taste for pungent food, will notice an improvement. Also, those who suffer from a fungal condition called "Brown Hairy Tongue" will benefit tremendously from a good tongue cleaning. For those with sweet smelling, fungus-free mouths, know that tongue scraping will reduce the bacteria that leads to gum disease and tooth decay. In other words, just about anybody will be better off for the effort. So, how does it work?

A bit of research will tell you that there are dozens of tongue scraping appliances on the market today. One of the most popular and inexpensive types is a soft, flexible plastic strip that you bow and pull along your tongue. It's an incredibly simple design with the potential for amazing results. Two or three strokes are usually sufficient. Please note, scraping should be done before brushing your teeth. It's quick and easy; the most difficult part of the entire process is actually seeing what's been in your mouth.

If you're not interested in actually buying a tongue scraper, a toothbrush will work fairly well. Though they aren't nearly as effective in removing debris and bacteria from your mouth as tools made for the job, it's far better than doing nothing at all. If you'd like to learn more about tongue scraping, or would like help finding the right dental hygiene method for you, contact your dentist's office, or mention it during your next check-up!

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.