Sitting in the comfortable dental chair at Thornton Dental, you are surrounded by dental instruments ranging from shiny picks to handheld drills and UV light guns.
This is part of our commitment to keeping your dental health optimised – We invest in modern, effective tools. And, at home, you can do the same!
Much of keeping your teeth healthy is based on your day-to-day use of basic tools at home. But do you know about all the tools that are out there to assist you in keeping your mouth healthy? There are new and effective tools that you might not know about, and we’d like to take a moment to look at a few of these great dental tools.
In this post, we focus on reliable dental tools that are known to be safe and effective. Often, it’s the more simple instruments that get the job done.
Let’s take a look!
Electric Toothbrush
Rather than using a regular bristle brush, you might consider an electric brush. Electric, or battery-operated, toothbrushes have been shown to reduce plaque and gum disease more efficiently than the normal toothbrush.
Most electric brushes have different attachment bristles to help with different types of cleaning for your teeth and come with a convenient timer that’s set to run for two minutes of brushing (the recommended time you should spend brushing your teeth). In fact, many electric toothbrushes notify you each thirty seconds, so you know when to shift to a different quadrant of your mouth.
Not only are these toothbrushes more efficient, but they can also be easier to use, doing the brushing for you. This makes them particularly useful for children, seniors, or anyone with mobility or flexibility issues in their arms and hands.
Water Flossers/Irrigators
Water flossers, also referred to as water picks or irrigators, shoot a stream of water to clean between your teeth. These are very useful for patients who don’t like sticking things between their teeth or who have very tight spaces between their teeth. As with the electric toothbrush, they are also easy to use.
Water flossers can hook up to a bathroom faucet or use their own water tank that you fill before use. Most water flossers allow for adjustable water pressures so that you get the interdental clean you desire, without too much pressure. To use a water flosser, point the tip between your teeth and press a button. Water will flow between your teeth, removing food particles and plaque, and thus eliminating food for plaque-creating bacteria.
Dental Plaque Staining
Considering how much people pay for tooth whitening, why would anyone want to stain their teeth? It’s simple – some kinds of stains reveal plaque. Dental plaque staining kits make it easy to see what is being missed during brushing. The kit comes with chewable tablets that stain the plaque on your teeth a bright hue, revealing areas you may not be reaching.
Mouth Mirror
These tools can be used to inspect your mouth, particularly in partnership with staining tablets. They are also useful in spotting cavities before costly treatments are necessary.
Toothbrush Timer App
We have apps for everything, right? And brushing your teeth is no different. Both iPhones and Android have apps to help you with your toothbrushing, where and when to brush, for how long, and when your toothbrush needs replacing. One of the great features of these apps is a built-in timer alerting you every 30 seconds that it is time to brush the next section of your mouth.
Electric Flossers
Many people can benefit from electric flossers, particularly those who have trouble with looping floss around their fingers and reaching all parts of their mouths. This includes seniors, young children, and people with braces or dental appliances.
Interdental Brushes
Interdental brushes address the same problem electric flossers do. With a handle and thin bristled flossing head, they are easier to use than traditional floss, which is particularly useful for those with joint or mobility problems that may make flossing with regular dental floss quite difficult.
Tongue Scrapers
Just what they sound like, scrapers are designed to clean the tongue. Using a tongue scraper is simple. Place the tongue scraper at the rear of the tongue and pull it forward along the tongue’s surface. Repeat this motion until the entire tongue has been scraped clean. This scrapes off bacteria that can lead to plaque and bad breath.
Why Choose Thornton Dental?
- We focus on patient care
- Exceptional infection control
- Friendly, approachable and experienced team
- Child-friendly and relaxing environment
- Patient comfort, safety and satisfaction are our primary goals
- Customised care tailored to your specific needs
- Integrity, high standards, premium quality materials
- Anxiety control and pain management
Thornton Dental serves the community of Thornton, Beresfield, Tarro, Woodberry, East Maitland, Chisholm, Raymond Terrace, Green Hills, Metford, Ashtonfield, Tenambit, Morpeth, Lorn, Bolwarra Heights, and surrounding areas of Maitland.
New Patients Promotions
- Pay No Gap : No Gap for dental checkup, clean, fluoride & 2 x-rays (with any health insurance)
- No Health Insurance : Only $145 ($95 for kids) for Checkup, Clean & Fluoride
Call us on (02) 4966 2996 or book your appointment online today!
