The Gift of Oral Health

This Holiday Give the Gift of Oral Health

I was surprised as a Dental Hygienist working independently in Brantford Ontario, just how often I am asked about the best kinds of oral aids to give during the holiday season. Apparently, I am not the only one determined to fight the ‘evil gingivitis.’

After several years, I decided to come up with a list of products that can help any person on your nice list.

5 Holiday gifts that give oral health:

1.       Myomucnhee

2.       Water Flosser

3.       Power tooth brush

4.       Soft Piks

5.       Xylitol mints and gums

1.       The Myomuchee is a silicone oral appliance that helps to treat the symptoms of Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders like grinding and snoring, by strengthening the muscle of the oral cavity. Available through Myomunchee.com, this innovative product is a game changer for mouth breathers and tongue thrusters as well.

2.       Water Flossers are great at doing a job that many people avoid doing. This nifty gadget uses a stream of water to loosen food and plaque debris from in between teeth. The mechanical action is often easier to adapt, especially for children, orthodontic patients, and the elderly.

3.       Power tooth brushes are amazing at reducing plaque and imflammation along the gum line, but there is a huge range of prices and functions. Personally, I recommend a power toothbrush that is rechargeable, and has a pressure sensor to let you know if you are pushing too hard. Some other great features that can be included include different speed settings, different size heads to suit your comfort or sensory needs, and some even include Bluetooth positioning technology to let you know places you are missing when you brush!

4.       Soft piks are some of my personal favourite oral care accessories. Made by Sunstar GUM, these interdental aids are a great choice for men who struggle to floss due to large hands, those who struggle with the technique of flossing or have dexterity issues, and those with bigger spaces between their teeth or orthodontic brackets. Quick and easy to use, Soft Piks come in 2 varieties: Traditional – a flat straight pik, and Advanced- a curved pik great for accessing back teeth.  By simply passing the pick back and forth between teeth, one is able to quickly and easily disturb bacteria and reduce gingival inflammation.

5.       Xylitol mints and gums. 6-10mg/day of Xylitol is a great recommendation for people who get cavities easily, or have dry mouths, and has shown in research to be an excellent method for helping to reduce cavities in children and seniors. Brands such as Trident, and PUR offer Xyliotol gums and mints in a variety of flavours. A word of caution however, Xylitol is dangerous if ingested by pets, who cannot metabolize natural sweeteners the same way humans do!

Gifting oral health aids is a great way to encourage not only oral health; but by reducing inflammation helps to improve overall health as well! Setting your family up for positive tooth care habits can reduce pain, improve overall health, reduce the risk for diseases like heart disease and Alzheimer’s and help give your family the beautiful smile they deserve!

5 Tips for Easier Oral Care at Home

Oral care starts at home, and what is habitual for some, can be a great source of stress and dysregulation for others. Learning some strategies to help take some of the pressure off brushing at home can help to reduce stress associated with this important factor of selfcare. Below are some ideas to make brushing a more tolerable experience for children with oral-sensory and toothbrushing aversions.

Tips for improving brushing tolerance with kids:

1) Try a different flavour of paste- Aversion to toothpaste flavour was one of the main reasons children tell me they dislike brushing. There are tones of different flavours available on the market, and you may need to try a few before you find one that works. I have found the Colgate Watermelon flavour to be one most kids are willing to accept, and it contains fluoride, which when used properly reduces the risk of cavities.

2) Laying down as opposed to standing when executing parent – assisted toothbrushing – laying down can help prevent the war of “you push in- they pull back” and also helps to relax tight lips and make brushing more comfortable. If you are able to sit behind the child’s head, you can see much easier into their mouths as well, and when you see better, you can do a better job.

3) Switch up your inter-dental aids – it doesn’t have to be all string floss all the time – try using an interdental brush like a Soft Pik, Proxy, or Curaprox interdental brush to make between teeth cleaning more comfortable. Water piks or other power flossers can also be great substitutions for traditional floss.

4) Oral care outside the bathroom- With the advent of calcium hydroxyapatite toothpastes such as Remin or Green Beaver – Enamel Protect toothpaste, kids are able to use a paste that helps reduce the risk for cavities, and is swallow safe! Utilizing an interdental brush while playing video games, or flossing in front of the tv are both ways to help integrate an oral care habit in a passive way. Brushing and flossing do not always need to be done in front of the sink, all at the same time. Changing the environment, and breaking down the tasks, can go a long way to achieving compliance.

5) Try a different style of brush- Sometimes something as simple as reducing the size of the toothbrush, the softness of the bristle, or utilizing a sonic vs. rotary power toothbrush can have a big impact on tolerance with toothbrushing. In the last several years, there have been several sensory friendly toothbrushes introduced to the market. Silicone and Three-sided, toothbrushes are both new on the market options to try when traditional brushing cannot be tolerated. Choosing a brush that utilizes a “toothbrushing motion” if possible, can help to transition to traditional brushing sooner.

Toothbrushing is an essential part of overall self care, and helping to create a calm, happy and accepting environment for this important daily task helps to reduce family stress and encourages steps towards increasing adequate oral self care and hygiene. Finding the tools that work for your child, combined with an environment and position that allows them to be relaxed and accepting, reduces anxiety around oral care and improves overall health.

Tips for a Successful Dental Hygiene Visit

Hello, I’m Kari Slade, a Registered Dental Hygienist and owner of Something to Smile About dental hygiene care in Brantford, Ontario. I love the flexibility of my job and the ability to open up dental hygiene care to those who may not fit so well in a traditional dental care environment.

This is my very first blog entry and what I hope will become a monthly contribution to the world of independent dental hygiene.

As this is my first blog, I had many options I wanted to explore, but settled on a tried-and-true fact of dental hygiene – the first time, nervous patient. Today I’ll be focusing on children, but this can apply to any individual who has anxiety around dental hygiene.

Here’s 5 tips for a successful visit:

-          Look for an office that is focused on preventative care

-          Explore social stories and tv shows depicting successful dental hygiene visits

-          Bring a support person or item

-          Ask about sensory accommodations

-          Book your appointment early in the day if possible

These tips are by and far small things that can be done to make your dental hygiene appointment less anxiety inducing, and allow for a positive dental cleaning experience.

Look for an office that preventative focused – whether this be a pediatric office, independent dental hygiene clinic, or a dental office that takes the time to make you feel comfortable. Look for things like, a non-rushed environment with adequate time to see patients and have your questions answered. Low staff turnover is also a good indicator of an office that puts its clients needs first! Finding an office that focuses on cavity prevention and oral health improvement instead of a more corporate “drill and fill” setting can immediately help you feel more comfortable in treating your oral health needs.

Explore social stories and tv shows- Often a pediatric or special needs office will have a specific social story for their clinic setting. If not, there are many options for dental hygiene social stories both using real life and cartoon pictures. Tv shows which depict a positive dental experience, including shows like Sesame Street, Blippi, Peppa Pig and more can help to put kids minds at ease when it comes to what to expect at their dental hygiene visit (check out my website for an example of the social story for my clinic)

Bring a support person or item- Obviously for children this will include a trusted adult, but oftentimes something small like a favourite toy or stuffy can help to put a child’s mind at ease. It also gives t he provider an object to use to “show and tell” the child about what to expect before procedure.

Ask about sensory accommodations- As people become more aware of the need for sensory sensitivity, accommodations for sensory needs are becoming more common. Accommodations such as noise canceling headphones, music (or no music) lighting, and sound restrictions can make the dental setting significantly more comfortable for an anxious client. Ask ahead of time what sensory accommodations can be made to suit your specific needs.

Book your appointment early in the day if possible- This allows for the appointment to be over early in the day, without time to dwell on anxiety producing scenarios. Oftentimes, children’s focus and attention are also improved with earlier appointments, improving treatment outcomes.

Finally, don’t overlook the benefits of positive reinforcement! Encouragement from a support person, rewards for desired behaviour, and reinforcers for meeting goals are all excellent ways to help children to work passed their dental anxieties.

Thank you for reading through my first blog post! If you have questions, or ideas for future blog posts please reach out to me at something2smileabout.rdh@outlook.com or on socials @somethingtosmileabout

Tongue Ties- More than “How far can you stick it out?”

As a Myofunctional Therapist in Brantford for the last 3 years, the comment I hear most often about tongue tie assessment is “They asked me to stick my tongue out, and said that it was fine.” The assessment, diagnosis and treatment of tongue tie is so much more than can you lick an ice cream or can you stick your tongue out, the assessment at treatment of restricted tethered oral tissues affects so much more than just range of motion.

10 affects of tongue tie:

-          Speech concerns

-          Chewing and swallowing/digestion concerns

-          Growth and development concerns

-          Breathing and airway concerns

-          Sleeping and apnea concerns

-          Focus and attention concerns

-          Can contribute to gagging

-          Can contribute to clenching and grinding

-          Can contribute to TMJ pain and disfunction

-          Orthodontic concerns including relapse

The assessment of tethered oral tissues begins with an assessment of function. How well does the tongue move? Is it able to cleanse the oral cavity? Is it able to seal to the palate to aid in growth and development? How does it affect the client’s ability to speak, sleep, eat, and breathe? It’s surprising to learn that tongue position affects all these things and more! Function can be assessed through a variety of open-interview style questions, measurements and photographs to apply to different modalities of assessment, Dr. Kotlow’s or Friedman’s measurements for range of motion and free tongue space, for example.

Doctor L. Kotlow and Dr. Friedman both have made tongue ties their life’s work. Their websites contain a wealth of knowledge for clients and clinicians. Dr. R. Baxter’s book – Tongue Ties- is also another fantastic resource. There are a range of books, articles, and videos on my website, under the Learn More tab as well.

Once assessment is complete, the next step is treatment. Some restricted tethered oral tissues can be improved with myofunctional therapy alone, while others require release by a doctor in combination with a myofunctional program. The easiest way to tell which you or your child may require is to seek an assessment by an airway focused provider such as a functional dentist or myofunctional therapist. Myofunctional therapy provides the framework for changing one’s oral habits through a series of exercises done daily at home. These exercises help to strengthen and activate the muscles of the oral cavity, while retraining them to work in their proper functions.

Through proper repatterning of the muscles of the oral cavity we are able to reduce or eliminate the symptoms associated with poor oral resting posture and tongue tie, and aid in growth and development that can literally change a person’s life.

Though the affects of restricted oral tissues are gaining more popularity recently, the research of many doctors has been ongoing for decades. As we look towards a more holistic or whole-body approach to health, it becomes evident that the treatment of restricted fascia is critical for overall health and wellness.

For more information on whether you or your child may have restricted oral tissues or a tongue tie, a consultation can be scheduled with me through my website, or feel free to follow the Contact Me link to ask any questions you may have.