I haven’t received any new or noteworthy products lately, so I’m reviewing an oldie, but a goodie!

Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste (in any variation)

Now, in my books, any toothpaste is a good toothpaste. Years of working at a dental office and being curious have taught me loads about dental care and health and how frickin’ easy it is to keep your mouth healthy.

It’s actually the brushing and rinsing action that does the bulk of the cleaning when you do your teeth, but having a nice toothpaste helps by adding fluoride, facilitating the cleaning action and helping to protect your teeth against sensitivity and other nasties (that’s the unscientific explanation, yo).

This particular toothpaste has a slew of benefits (which are all available in other products too, fyi) but what I really like about it is the grit that is included in the paste.

It’s kind of weird and gross at first… it feels a lot like the polishing paste dentists use on you at your visit. But it sure does get your teeth clean! And I was surprised to find that even after regular use, the grit did not further irritate my sensitive teeth. In fact my sensitivity has decreased since using it.

The reason I have decided to continue purchasing this particular toothpaste is because of the results it gave me (when combined with regular dental care).

For my last two dental appointments, the hygienists said they had nothing to do. Meaning that there was almost no plaque build-up on my teeth and that everything was hunky-dory. The dentist agreed, and asked me what I had been doing.

“I just brush and floss regularly!” I said.

This speaks volumes in favour of this toothpaste. It was the only thing that had changed in my routine and suddenly I was seeing amazing results.

Here’s a recap of the benefits I experienced:

• Really nice, clean feeling after brushing
• Reduced plaque build-up (which meant no cavities or gingivitis)
• Reduced tooth sensitivity
• Whiter teeth
• Dentist charging me $200 for a tooth-cleaning I didn’t need oh whoops, I guess that’s not a benefit!
• Knowing that including this in my regular routine will allow me to increase the time between dentist visits (only do this with blessings from your dentist, everyone needs a different level of care)

Ginger’s Dental Advice

I’m not a dental professional, but here are some uber-simple things that you can do to keep your mouth healthy, and why you should do those things.

Brush in the morning AND at night

Everyone knows it’s good to brush in the morning to get rid of dragon’s breath. But did you know it’s almost more important to brush at night?

At night, your mouth turns into a pit of despair filled with acids and bacteria that are up to no good. If you sleep with your mouth open, these acids and bacteria dry out and stick to your teeth like glue which can cause cavities, inflammation (gingivitis) and more.

If you clean your mouth out before bed you’re not giving the nasties a chance to accumulate and sit around your teeth for as long. You’ll still wake up with rank breath, but hopefully one less cavity or soft spot.

Mouthwashes give a little extra oompf but are optional

That covers it…

Floss regularly, too

No matter how awesome your toothbrush is, nor how vigorously you swish that mouthwash, you’re not going to dislodge the ick from the nooks and crannies of your teeth.

This is where flossing comes in. By flossing regularly, you’re able to clean between the teeth and below the gum line (where grossness likes to lurk the most!) and scrape out the garbage that hangs out there. And maybe dislodge that popcorn seed shell that’s been stuck in your molar since last Friday.

“Oh Ginger!” you whine, “It hurts when I floss and my gums bleed! I don’t wanna…” To this I say: Suck it up, buttercup. Your teeth and gums hurt and bleed because you’re not flossing! Deal with it for a few days and the swelling will go down and it will become easier to floss. Trust me, I started out the same way.

The dentist always used to tell me I needed to floss more, but I just sort of shrugged it off. But once I started it I noticed what a difference it really made! I had no idea that such a small step could not only improve my dental health so much, but also save me money!

Benefits of Good Dental Health

I think you all vaguely know that having healthy teeth is good. But WHY is it so important?

Health!

Duh. Less cavities, less tooth sensitivity, blah blah blah. But did you know that the human mouth is dirtier than a dog’s? And did you know that the teeth are the only hard bodily substance (aka BONES) that stick outside of your flesh? This means they have a direct route into the body from the outside world. If you don’t take care of your mouth you are asking for health troubles.

Poor dental health can lead to all kinds of diseases including cancers and periodontal disease. It’s not just about losing your teeth anymore–you can lose your life.

Looks

It pays to take care of your teeth. Fresher breath, naturally white teeth, no signs of decay. Tell me you don’t look for that when you go to kiss someone! Disgusting teeth are a huge turnoff for me.

Money

By performing everyday maintenance of your teeth (brushing & flossing) you can prevent SO MUCH damage!

Here are some observations from when I worked at a dental office.

People would come in and be flabbergasted by the amount of additional work they would need to get done (after not coming in for 5 years or more!) and would wonder why they have such high dental bills for all this work.

I’ll tell you why.

I don’t care if you don’t have the money or are afraid of the dentist. You’re probably afraid because its always painful and costs a lot, yeah? Well it’s because you don’t take care of your teeth! If you just brushed and flossed regularly, going to the dentist would be a hell of a lot cheaper and comfortable! Buying floss, a brush and toothpaste costs less than $10 and is something everyone can afford.

If you have a good dental regimen, you don’t have to worry about getting root canals, crowns, extreme scaling, additional fluoride or polishing treatments. Your cleaning appointments can be scaled back so you don’t come in as often.

Crowns cost upwards of $1000, and root canals are pricey, too. No one wants to get them done, but they don’t bother taking preventative measures either. Personal beef of mine.

It’s so easy to avoid painful and expensive dental treatments, my friends.

Just take care of your mouth!

 

I have some crazy memories from the dental office… we would have file photos of some really awful teeth (nightmares, really) and every time I skipped brushing one of those scary images would flash through my head.

So anyway, brush, floss and see your dentist regularly! Or you may end up with a mouth like this: