Sometimes it is worth a review of the basics. Here is what your woburn dentist recommends for an everlasting healthy smile:

1. Brush your tongue.
2. Brush your teeth manually one minute on the top and one minute on the bottom. Always use soft brush and put half the bristles on the gum and half on the teeth. Go downward on the top, and go upward on the lowers. Never brush horizontally.
3. Flossing: secure the floss in a C shape hugging the tooth, floss it up and down, then hug the tooth next to it and floss it in the same manner, then come out. People tend to pass the floss up and down without hugging any tooth. This will only dislodge food but not remove plaque off the teeth.
4. Finally brush with an electric toothbrush, 30 seconds on each quadrant. Put half the bristles half on the gum and half on the teeth. DO NOT bend the bristle at all, pressing too hard since will damage your gum.
5. For periodontal patients with greater than 4mm pockets, rubber tip only the back molars. Insert the tip in a 90 degree angle, and massage counting to 10. Rubber tip each area from the cheek side and the tongue side.

Go through these few steps every day, and you will show great results.

Your Woburn Dentist,

Ghada

Let's face it. Life can be crazy and hectic. But having a busy schedule is not an excuse for neglecting your oral hygiene. All it takes is a few minutes of your day to fight against tooth decay and plaque. Simple brushing and flossing can go a long way to keeping your smile healthy. Combined with healthy eating, gum disease prevention and routine visits to your Woburn dentist, you can ensure your smile looks and feels it's very best for a lifetime.

Step 1: Brush Your Teeth Daily

It seems obvious, right? While brushing your teeth seems like a mundane task, failing to give your teeth the attention they need and deserve each and every day can lead to tooth decay, bad breath, tooth discoloration and gum disease.

Brush your teeth at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Use a soft-bristled brush to gently clean all sides of the teeth, and remember to brush your tongue and along the gumline. When your toothbrush starts to look worn, or after three months, toss your old toothbrush for a new one. Ask your Woburn dentist for the best brushing techniques and the most appropriate toothbrush for your teeth.

Step 2: Don't Forget to Floss

Don't underestimate the importance of flossing. Flossing regularly ensures your penetrating those hard-to-reach areas between the teeth and along the gumline to remove food particles that a tooth brush can't. Failing to floss properly and regularly allows plaque to build-up, eventually turning to tartar- a hard substance that can only be removed by your dentist. With time, bacteria accumulate within the tartar, leading to gingivitis and eventually progressing to gum disease.

Not sure about the proper methods for flossing? Talk to your Woburn dentist for easy tips and techniques. Coupled with good brushing, you can help eliminate the harmful bacteria that lead to bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease.

Step 3: Eat a Well-Balanced Diet

Just as eating nutritional foods is good for your body, it's equally as important for your teeth and gums. Avoid excessive snacking between meals- especially sugary or starchy foods. And limit your amount of soda intake as even diet soda contains harmful acids that can erode tooth enamel. Foods rich in calcium, fluoride, and vitamins will keep you teeth strong and stunning. As a general rule, if it's bad for your body, then it's probably bad for you mouth as well.

Step 4: Monitor Your Gums

Tender, swollen and red gums; gums that bleed easily; and persistent bad breath are all common warning signs of gum disease- an infection of the tissues and bones that surround and support the teeth. Getting to your dentist as soon as signs of infected gums are detected is the best way to ensure a quick and full recovery. Luckily gum disease can be treated at all stages, and even more importantly, easily be prevented with good oral hygiene, a well-balanced diet and regular visits to your dentist.

Step 5: Visit Your Dentist

One of the most essential steps for achieving a healthy smile is to visit your dentist in Woburn for routine check ups and cleanings- usually twice a year. During your regular visits, your dentist will look for signs of diseases, infections, injuries, oral cancer and other dental problems that she is trained to detect. The earlier a problem is identified, the more effectively your dentist can administer the appropriate treatment.

Being proactive about your personal dental care is the best way to combat harmful plaque and bacteria from accumulating on your teeth and gums. Start by improving your brushing and flossing, paying extra attention to the hard to reach areas between the teeth and along the gumline. Modify your diet and be more cautious of how often and how much of certain foods you are eating. Monitoring the health of your gums is also important as gum disease is a common and very serious issue that can have far-reaching consequences. And finally, keep up-to-date with appointments to your Woburn family dentist as she can detect dental problems in their earliest stages to keep your teeth their very best for a lifetime.

When you or your woburn dentist identify a problem in your mouth, it is better to deal with it when it shows up not when it blows up. Sometimes it may appear easy to wait and not deal with it right away, especially when there is no pain.

However, these problems are likely to turn into bigger problems which will be more costly, more timely, and potentially more painful.

For example, it is better to get older fillings replaced to prevent repeated decay. When you replace older fillings, it is a fairly easy procedure that can take 30-60 minutes. By not replacing them, additional decay will result, and subsequently you will need a larger filling, possibly a root canal, and maybe a crown.

So, prevention is the best approach, and it is always better to deal with dental problems when they show up not when they blow up.

How to Communicate with Your Dentist and Overcome Your Dental Anxiety

Prevention is the key to good oral health, and this includes daily dental care and routine visits to your Woburn dentist. People who suffer from dental anxiety, however, often avoid regular visits to their dentist, and this in turn can lead to dental problems.
Fortunately, it's not difficult to overcome your dental anxiety, especially with new and innovative technology now available that help educate patients and streamline dental care. With that being said, communication should be the foundation of any dental treatment plan. Get to know your dentist, educate yourself about good dental health and take advantage of advanced dental technology.

Establishing Trust with Your Dentist

If you don't feel comfortable at your dentist's office, you are going to have a difficult time relaxing during a procedure. Learn to express your fears and concerns to your dentist so that she can administer the most suitable treatment for your needs. Remember, your dentist is not only trained for clinical skills, but for patient anxiety as well.

Just as you need to learn how to trust your dentist, your dentist also needs to feel confident that she can trust you. If you are experiencing unusual symptoms or dental pain, you need to tell your dentist so that she can properly diagnose you and help treat your problem. For instance, if you're suffering from an excruciating toothache, but avoid telling your dentist because you don't want a root canal, you are only making the condition worse and prolonging the pain.

Laser Dentistry for Phobia-Free Dental Care

Perhaps it's the sound of the drill or your intense fear of needles that keeps you from scheduling regular appointments with your dentist. Luckily, with new advances in dental technology, receiving quality treatment from your Woburn dentist is safer, faster and more comfortable than ever. Using a specialized beam of light, your dentist in Woburn can successfully treat dental diseases for both hard and soft oral tissue, targeting decay with higher water content and ultimately preserving the healthy part of the natural tooth structure.

Laser dentistry is revolutionizing the way dentists can administer dental care for certain procedures, minimizing pain and working much faster compared to other traditional techniques. In fact, clinical studies have shown that 97% of children and adult patients receiving laser dentistry did not require anesthesia, meaning less time is lost waiting for Novocain to take effect or wear off.

Online Communication and Education

Communicating with your dentist is easier than ever with the power of the World Wide Web. In fact, many dentists have integrated the Internet into their practice by building a website with practice details, service descriptions and dental education that help expedite appointments and enable patients to get to know their dentist from the comfort of their homes. Ultimately, an educated patient is a less anxious patient, and the more informed you are about your dentist and the services offered, the more confident you'll feel at your next appointment.

Not only can a dental website provide you with valuable dental information, it can also make communicating with your dentist easier and more efficient than ever. You can visit your Woburn dentist's site and make an appointment online, and if you're new to the practice, print new patient forms and fill them out before your first appointment.

Don't let your fear of the dentist prevent you from receiving exceptional dental care and a healthy, radiant smile. Talk to your dentist and express your misgivings; learn more about advanced dental technology such as laser dentistry; and take advantage of a wide range of dental information by visiting your dentist's website.

When should I schedule my child's first visit to the dentist? When will my child be able to brush on his or her own? How can I tell if my child needs braces? As a parent, it isn't always easy judging the amount of dental care your child needs. But with the help of a family dentist in Woburn that specializes in dentistry for kids, you can ensure your child gets the best dental care for his or her teeth at every stage of development. From when to schedule a first visit to good brushing habits and proper nutrition, parents can talk to their dentist about how to best care for their child's teeth and gums.

When should I start taking my child to the dentist?

According to the American Dental Association, parents should bring their child in for his or her first dental appointment by their first birthday. This allows the dentist to identify problems early and make recommendations for the best possible prevention and treatment. Many dentists specialize in treating the teeth and gums of little ones, and are best equipped to make your child feel comfortable at each and every appointment.

At the first visit, the parent and dentist can review important dental health information such as diet, tooth brushing, bottles and fluoride use. Not to mention that starting dental care early will help your child become comfortable with his or her dentist while establishing good dental health habits with each and every appointment.

Establish Good Brushing Habits

Just as daily oral hygiene is important for adults, it is as equally important for children. Because children have less motivation and focus to care for their teeth and gums, however, incorporating proper brushing into a child's every day routine can be difficult.

Start practicing good dental care early, generally around six months when a child's first teeth start coming in. Try to make the process fun by doing it together. And continue to provide supervision and help your child brush and floss until they are responsible and mature enough to do it properly on their own.

Fighting Cavities with a Healthy Diet

Finally, just as brushing is important for reducing decay, good nutrition and healthy teeth also go hand in hand. A healthy, well-balanced diet supplies your child with the essential nutrients they need to grow, including the strong development of teeth and gums.

Improve your child's calcium intake to build strong teeth and prevent cavities. And limit your child's sugar intake, including candies, sodas, juices and other sweets. Additionally, talk to your child's dentist about their fluoride ingestion- a key way to prevent cavities.

Taking your child to your Woburn dentist at an early age is the best way to instill good dental health habits and implement preventative treatment so that it carries over into adulthood. Combined with proper brushing and healthy eating, you can help promote healthy teeth and gums for your child.