White Pine Dental

Spring Clean Your Dental Routine

May 21, 2018 @ 05:22 PM — by Kaitlin Lambert
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Spring Clean Your Dental Supplies!

 

                It’s that time of year already: spring cleaning time! School is almost out for the summer, and as you do that nice clean sweep of your house, don’t forget to clear out a few items from your dental supply cabinet, too! Here is a short list of suggestions for what to keep and what to pitch.

·       Toothbrushes:

·       Current tooth brush: If it’s older than three months, PITCH IT! You should replace your toothbrush every three months. This includes brush heads for electric tooth brushes, and tips for your WaterPik or Air Flosser!

·       Hard and medium bristle tooth brushes: PITCH IT! Only soft or extra-soft bristles are ever recommended. Harder bristles are hard on your enamel and your gums, and they actually do not work as well.

·       Tooth paste:

·       Expired tooth paste: It doesn’t become toxic after expiration, but the Fluoride in tooth paste does lose efficacy beyond a certain time frame. If it’s only slightly expired, you can probably finish out the tube, but otherwise PITCH IT!

·       Harsh and abrasive tooth pastes: If you have recession or sensitivity, PITCH IT! This includes anything with whitening, tartar control, or baking soda.

·       Mouthwash:

·       Scope: PITCH IT! This product has no germ killing ingredients, and no Fluoride to strengthen teeth. It’s a liquid breath mint.

·       Listerine or ACT: KEEP IT! Follow the same guidelines as expiration dates for tooth paste, but these rinses stay good and effective for a long time. You just have to use them.

·       Old spools of floss:

·       KEEP IT! Same principle as Listerine; you gotta use it! But floss never goes bad. As you re-organize your cabinets, put your floss somewhere prominent, where it’s staring you down every day so you can’t forget about it. I keep mine on top of my tooth paste, so I can’t brush without picking up my floss first.

·       Broken Sonicare:

·       If your Sonicare is not too old, you may be able to contact customer service about a replacement. They have a great customer service department. So, maybe don’t pitch it quite yet.

 
           As part of your spring cleaning, make sure you are scheduled for your dental check-up and hygiene appointment if it’s been a while.

Keep it clean, and keep smiling!