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Self-Care Toothbrush Tips for Special Needs

Maintaining good oral hygiene can be a challenge, especially if you have developed a health condition that makes brushing and flossing more difficult, or have been in an accident that created new limitations. Dental professionals want to help all dental patients keep their mouths healthy, and they offer these suggestions about oral hygiene.

Dental Brushing Tips

Problems in hands, wrists, arms, and shoulders can hinder a person's ability to brush and floss. While each situation is different, there are some suggestions that have been effective in making dental care easier:

• Use a wide elastic band to attach the toothbrush to your hand for extra gripping power.
• Attach a small rubber ball, a sponge, or a rubber grip to the toothbrush handle with strong tape. This enhances gripping power and is often useful when hand or arm movement is weakened or limited.
• Use a longer wooden dowel, a ruler, or plastic rod to lengthen the toothbrush handle, wrapping it securely with strong tape. This longer length may help in more easily reaching your mouth.
• Use an electric or sonic toothbrush.

Dental Flossing Tips

If limitations make brushing and oral hygiene harder, flossing may be an even bigger challenge. Depending on your limitations, try these techniques:

• Use a piece of floss, about 18" long, and wind one end of floss around each finger instead of holding it. This will increase your grip and prevent the floss from dropping out of your fingers with each tooth you floss.
• Hold the floss tightly and seesaw it back and forth between the teeth, instead of pushing the floss right through.
• Tie the floss into a long circle instead of using one long piece, which may make it easier to hold and less likely to drop from your hands.
• Try using a floss holder, available wherever oral hygiene products are sold.

By Danine M. Fresch, DDS

+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.

Learn About Tooth Abrasion and Overbrushing from Your Dental Hygienist

The issue of over brushing and its direct link to tooth abrasion has been a topic in many journal and news articles. A story in The Wall Street Journal (February 4, 2000) stated that in many cases, "the culprit in tooth abrasion is the toothbrush itself."

This issue is particularly important to because people can damage healthy teeth and gums by brushing too hard, oftentimes with a medium- or hard-bristled toothbrush. In fact, dentists and dental hygienists have a recommendation on how to brush your teeth they recommend that you use a soft-bristled toothbrush for your dental cleaning.

Your teeth and gums are susceptible to wear and tear like all other parts of your body. In cases of improper dental hygiene and brushing, such as brushing too vigorously, gum tissue can be worn away. Receding gums then lead to other significant dental problems such as sensitive teeth, periodontal disease, cavities, root canals, and, potential loss of teeth.

Your dental hygienist will explain that brushing your teeth correctly includes adjusting the angle of your toothbrush (it should be at a 45-degree angle), lessening the amount of pressure you use, monitoring the length of time, as well as making sure that you are using a soft-bristled toothbrush. In addition, always ask your dentist for specific recommendations related to your dental hygiene care and healthy teeth.

While the potential harm to healthy teeth and gums through poor dental hygiene and over brushing is significant, an even greater percentage of the population suffers damage to their teeth from occlusion (bad bite), genetic factors, and poor overall dental cleaning. It is critical to carefully maintain and monitor your oral health.

The best approach to maintaining good oral hygiene is to brush your teeth twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush with fluoride toothpaste, floss or clean between the teeth using an inter-dental cleaner (special brushes, picks or sticks), and visit your dentist every six months. Follow your dental hygienist's advice with regard to any changes to this regimen.

By Brian J. Gray, DDS, MAGD, FICO

+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.