There are so many tooth products on the market promising to prevent tooth decay or gingivitis. It is difficult to determine what toothbrush, rinse or toothpaste is the best. Even with all these products, surveys report that nine out of 10 people get gum disease and 91.3 percent of adults experience tooth decay. As a periodontist, I am sometimes asked what I use.

I recommend a good electric toothbrush, like Braun Oral-B®.  This cleans as much as 40 times better than a person can do by hand and is less likely to result in gum recession.  Although “sonic” is good, in my opinion, even Braun has not yet successfully combined sonic waves with an effective head action. A physical scrubbing of plaque to dislodge and disorganize bacteria is sufficient.

Something I don’t recommend is using a Water-Pic®.  It does dislodge food that feeds bacteria, but it can drive bacteria deep into inflamed tissue, accelerating gum disease. I also tell patients not to use peroxide. It does kill bacteria, but it can kill bone and other tissue as well.

Overusing mouthwashes is another problem. They increase plaque counts, while people think they are hiding bad breath, which is not so. Bad breath is caused by millions of bacteria around the teeth and on the tongue. Put a dry manual brush in your purse or desk and scrub off the stinky.

My routine is to brush (always with an electric brush) in the morning with kitchen baking soda.  This is less abrasive than toothpaste, releases oxygen and kills germs.  In the evening, I brush with a baking soda/fluoride toothpaste and floss.  I change the brush head the first of each month so that the bristles are still strong enough to get into the space around the teeth.

I follow this with Gel-Kam® four percent stannous fluoride gel or rinse, which can be found over the counter, applied with my electric brush. After spitting out the excess, I go to bed.  The reason for the fluoride is twofold. First, it eliminates root sensitivity. Second, as we get older, our saliva gets less watery and we tend to get root decay. Fluoride each night will help you avoid this new dental adventure.

Everyone misses spots within two to three months. At that point, the plaque starts calcifying and becoming calculus or tartar, needing to be removed by a professional. Left on the roots, it makes people lose bone and attachment. Gum disease sets in and leads to eventual tooth loss. Don’t let this happen to you!