Products for the Care of Your Teeth and Gums

My favorites:

Toothpaste:   Crest toothpaste - use any non-whitening formula.

Dental floss- Glide floss

Toothbrush - Oral-B Advantage toothbrush

Toothpastes- It is important to choose one that contains the following:  (1) The seal of approval of the ADA, the American Dental Association (2) Fluoride.  It is important to AVOID the following: (1) CLAIMS OF WHITENING are misleading or exaggerated (2) BAKING SODA does nothing.

I find the best toothpastes are those which foam nicely and don't dilute easily.  I've had the opportunity to try dozens of free samples over the years and my observations tell me that baking soda toothpastes foam the least and dilute the easiest.  Furthermore, the baking soda has no known benefit.  For these reasons, you should avoid the baking soda toothpastes as there are more effective products available.

The whitening toothpastes are not particularly good for your teeth and gums.  They often do not actually contain a peroxide whitening ingredient, which is the real whitening agent.  Instead, their whitening claims are based on the fact that they abrade the teeth with rough particles that remove outer stains by scouring the surface.  Most toothpastes contain particles for this purpose, if you take some toothpaste between your fingers, you will feel these particles.    The whitening toothpastes contain higher concentrations and or increased particle size of this abrasive.  Repeated scouring of the teeth will wear the surface down.  Therefore I do not see these products as safe for the teeth and I find their claims as whitening toothpastes misleading.  The only way for you to safely whiten your teeth is to let me do it for you in the office under controlled circumstances using peroxide-based chemistry.

Crest products are my overall favorite, Colgate Total is a close second.

Listerine is a fine product that may or may not actually work.  It has a minimal published benefit for the health of the gums so don't count on it solely for this purpose, only in addition to brushing and flossing.  Listerine contains a high percentage of alcohol which is what gives that sting and fresh sensation.

Glide floss is the best.  It is a little more expensive - but it is worth the cost because it slips easily between the teeth and doesn't shred or tear as easily.

Toothbrushes - buy the softest toothbrush you can find, with a large adult head.  Replace it every 3 months.  Oral-B advantage toothbrush is my favorite because the handle is the stiffest and the bristles are very well manufactured.  An alternative is the GUM line.  Electric toothbrushes are useful for people who have limited ability to move their hand and wrist muscles and therefore have trouble brushing with a manual brush.   Either type is OK as long as you can carry the brush to all surfaces of all of your teeth and scrub around a couple of times, you are doing the job correctly.  Otherwise, there is no difference between the effectiveness of an electric versus a manual brush, don't believe the advertising hype.  Knowing that, go with your personal preference.