Family Dentist- Laurel
8363 Cherry Lane
Laurel, MD 20707
301-953-3021
We are open 7 days a week from 6am - 10pm and we offer Emergency Dental Services
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- 2011
- May (15)
- The Formation of Plaque
- Toothache and Heart Attack
- Bad mood and Bad breath
- Tooth Extractions
- Three Ways to Straighten Teeth
- When a tooth need to be extracted
- The Importance of Baby Teeth
- When should dental care start
- Mouthguards/ Nightguards
- Dry Socket
- Dental Decay and Ways to Prevent It
- Accelerated Orthodontics
- Dental Pulp Diseases
- All About Cosmetic Dentistry
- Fish Fights Gum Disease
- April (14)
- Top 5 Embarrassing Oral Health Problems
- Four Types of Teeth
- Getting Dental Braces as an Adult
- Crown Lengthening
- Understanding Periodontal Disease
- Tooth ALERT!
- Choosing a Mouth Rinse
- Going to the Dentist While Pregnant
- Dental Filling Options for Fillings
- Anxiety in the Dentist Chair
- A Guide To Flossing Your Teeth
- 7 Nighttime Tips for Improving your Oral Health
- Green Tea can help you make your Teeth Stronger
- Healthy Diet leads to Health Teeth and Gums
- 2010
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Choosing a Mouth Rinse That's Right for You
Your local pharmacy’s oral health section has dozens of mouth rinse products to choose from, all claiming to protect your teeth and gums and freshen your breath. How can you know which claims are true? Do you really need to use a mouth rinse, or is good brushing and flossing enough?
Fluoride-Containing Mouth Rinses
Fluoride helps prevent tooth decay by helping your body strengthen enamel — the white, harder-than-bone substance that covers teeth. But most people will not require fluoride-containing mouth rinses. Your pretty much get that from your fluoridated toothpaste, But there are some exceptions.
Check with your dentist if you’re not using fluoride toothpaste. In this case, it might be a good idea to supplement your oral health routine with a fluoride mouth rinse.
Many mouth rinses are available that make your breath smell good, but, they don't necessarily offer any long-term dental health benefits.
Cosmetic rinses reduce mouth odors, or halitosis. Some do kill bacteria for a short time, but there is no lasting health impact that you could ascribe to them. The bacteria killed by these types of mouth rinses will grow back eventually, and while you’ll have fresh and minty breath in the short-term, these rinses don’t actually improve your oral health.
Anti-Plaque or Anti-Gingivitis Mouth Rinses
For adults, it’s a good idea to include this kind [of mouth rinse] with brushing and flossing. Although brushing and flossing are the key components of good oral health, we don’t always do as good a job with these tasks as we should. Anti-plaque and anti-gingivitis mouth rinses can give a boost to your dental care habits by killing potentially damaging bacteria.
If it has the American Dental Association (ADA) seal of approval that means that the claims made on the bottle have been verified by an independent scientific body. “These rinses work by killing a different spectrum of bacteria than the breath-freshening rinses. Oral bacteria can cause gum disease, so using a rinse that eliminates some of these organisms will help your overall oral health.
For people with more serious oral health concerns, dentists can prescribe stronger mouth rinses. Another level is available by prescription to fight advanced plaque and gingivitis. This will keep inflammation down.
Mouth rinses do serve a purpose, whether to freshen your breath or help fight plaque and gingivitis. But, mouth rinses are not a substitute for regular and effective brushing and flossing. Don't get lazy with your toothbrush and dental floss. And when choosing a mouth rinse product, pick one that has the ADA seal of approval.