March is National Nutrition Month! Join the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in celebration by focusing on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating habits. Many of us are looking for fast, easy and good-tasting foods to fit our busy lifestyle. Below are some tips suggested by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to get you started towards healthy nutrition on the go.   Think ahead and plan where you will eat. Look for restaurants or...

Wearing braces can make dental care slightly more complicated. To prevent gum disease and cavities, you need to clean both your teeth and braces properly. Cleaning with a regular toothbrush is not enough – you often need additional cleaning products. Your dentist/orthodontic assistant can guide you to suitable products for orthodontic care and show you how to use them. If you have removable braces, make sure to brush them too, using a toothbrush and water. How to clean your braces...

  Bad breath is a concern for many, and persistent malodors can be upsetting. Bad breath or halitosis is a complex issue. It’s a widespread misunderstanding that bad breath usually has to do with stomach problems. Yes, strongly flavored food and strong-smelling drinks can be a temporary cause, but a very common reason is, in fact, poor oral hygiene. If you suffer from gum inflammation known as gingivitis or a more severe version known as periodontitis, your mouth contains an...

  If you are experiencing bad breath that seems to linger and is caused by more than just what you ate for lunch, then a tongue cleaner may be an excellent addition to your oral hygiene habits. The tongue has lots of areas for bacteria to hide and the back of the tongue is a great place for oral malodor to occur.  Small bumps, called papillae, create niches for bacteria and food particles to collect. The mouth naturally has a...

If you have started sizing patients with the TePe interdental brushes and invested in the concept that dental offices need to provide more than 2 sizes of interdental brushes to properly size each person’s embrasure spaces, you may have noticed some patients could have many brushes to fit their spaces.    On average, patients need 2 sizes of interdental brushes. This is to help increase their motivation to use the brushes and keeps the cost down when caring for their...

Oh the tongue! The nemesis to all dental hygienists. I have spent most of my clinical career battling the most curious, and in my opinion, strongest muscle in the body. Patients are not even aware that their tongue is trying to push me away or trying to feel where my instrument is. The tongue may be difficult to work around but it can be a great asset to help patients improve their brushing skills.  I know that I am a...

The great thing about the TePe interdental line is how extensive it is. You really can tailor patient education for cleaning interdental spaces to exactly what the patient needs. However, getting started with the TePe line can be overwhelming. Especially, if you have been using only 1, 2 or 3 sizes for interdental cleaners.  We hate wasting product as we try to size our patients, so here is a helpful tip for sizing TePe's interdental brushes. I take my probe, the...