Saskatoon Dental Group is a locally owned, full-scale Saskatoon dental clinic offering general dentistry services. At Saskatoon Dental Group, we are dedicated to offering excellent care to our amazing patients who are like family to us. We are grateful to treat whole families in Saskatoon across multiple generations and have a multicultural team speaking multiple languages. In our latest Saskatoon dental tip, we talk about Toothpaste — do you need it? 

How many times have you gone somewhere and realized you forgot your toothpaste at home on the counter.   Then comes the question: 

Toothpaste – Do You Need It? 

The short answer is no, you don’t need toothpaste.  Your toothbrush is the most critical tool you need when brushing your teeth.  Studies have shown that patients who brushed their teeth without toothpaste reduced their plaque build-up by 63% and had a reduction of 55% in bleeding gums. 

If you don’t have toothpaste it is recommended you brush your teeth as follows: 

Use a Dry Brush

A dry brush is important because it’s stiffer than a wet brush. 

Shoot for 45 degrees

As plaque hangs out near your gums, angling your brush at a 45-degree angle is the best way to remove it. 

Brush from Inside to Out 

Start at the inside bottom teeth, as plaque deposits are the easiest to miss nearest your tongue, then move towards your inside top teeth and finally move outside to finish. 

“Dance” the Brush

Now everyone knows the joke about how to make a Kleenex dance, you put a little bit of a boogie in it.  A little different concept here, but still dancing, you are going to use a little bit of a wiggle in your brush as you do little circles across the surface of your teeth.  

Smooth is Best

Brushing dry means brushing for “feel” instead of time.

When you’ve done an effective job of removing plaque from your teeth, they should feel as smooth as they do when your teeth are cleaned professionally by Saskatoon Dental Group. 

Not sure how to take care of your toothbrush now that you have brushed your teeth, here are Tips for Taking Care of Your Toothbrush

So remember the next time you forgot your toothpaste and you think do I need it, no you don’t, however, remember that good oral health habits start at home and we encourage you to visit us once a year for a full checkup and examination. Oral health is closely tied to your overall health and wellness and often we can identify issues before they become problems.

We are always welcoming patients looking for a new dental family. If you would like to book a checkup or if you have any dental questions please do not hesitate to reach out to our team. We hope we fully explained why you shouldn’t skip your dental check-ups!

See you soon!

The Saskatoon Dental Group Team

 

toothbrush with toothpaste on it