Hi there! I have been stressing over my teeth lately. Last time I saw the dentist in October she spent a good half hour scraping my teeth. Aggh. Everyone hates that. I have made a commitment to floss, brush, and rinse daily in an effort to avoid having to go through this every visit. Problem is that I don't think it's really working. I can actually see the tarter just below the gumline of my two front teeth. It wouldn't be noticeable to anyone else unless they were really looking, but I don't understand why this is happening when I am doing everything I am supposed to. Other posters on this board have mentioned the scalers you can buy at the store so that you can remove some of the tartar at home. I don't think this would work in my case. It just seems like too sensitive of an area to be messing with. Any advice? I also have pocketing on one of my top back teeth. I do my best to get the floss in there good to keep it clean. I habitually get food stuck in the pocket. It's a nightmare trying to remove food after every meal. Thanks for your help.
Hi,
Be sure to brush at least twice daily for about two minutes each time. Flossing once daily is fine.
Plaque will turn into calculus in about 12 hours. As you know, it's much harder to get off then. A good professional cleaning will always take 45minutes or so even if your teeth are spotless so your hygienist is going to always scrap. She.he can also reach areas with the proper tools that you can't with a brush and floss.
When you brush, try to use a circular motion. Use a soft toothbrush so that it can reach as many places as possible, and be gentle. You're not trying to scrub your teeth so hard as to injure the gums.
If you brush TWICE a day, for a full two minutes, it would be hard for plaque to stick to your teeth.
Good luck. It sounds as though you are very conscientious in your dental care.
My best to you,
Gellia
Something else you could also try is getting a water pic. It will clean the places that you might not be able to get normally. Like under the gum line. I use mine everyday in my nightly routine. Brush, floss, water pic, mouthwash, and brush with another toothpaste.
