Camping!

Noah, age 3, thinking about making a run for it! ~2009

My family and I are trying to catch some of the last cold weather this weekend before the baking heat rolls into Arizona.  Having camped all through my childhood, I grew to love being outdoors away from comforts of the city, but enveloped by the beautiful Arizona wilderness.  Many Arizonans know what I'm talking about, and our state has a wide variety to enjoy.  In particular, my children love the campfire food and are engrossed by the pine trees in Northern Arizona.  It's rejuvenating to our spirits, I think, to live for a day or two close to nature.  It can help us take stock of our lives and be grateful for small blessings, like running water or mattresses.  Should you find yourself out and about, remember to care for your teeth.  The great thing about a toothbrush and toothpaste is that it is portable.

Electric!

There is nothing wrong with using a manual toothbrush.  We recommend brushing your teeth for 2 minutes to ensure sufficient time to remove plaque and give the fluoride time to remineralize your teeth.  Also, we need to use circular, light motions to make the most of the time we spend brushing.  If either of these two requirements is difficult to achieve, we recommend getting an electric toothbrush.  The price ranges from $6 to over $200, and even the least expensive can give some benefit in doing more brushing work within the period of time you brush.  Just remember to still brush lightly, as the mechanical action of electric toothbrushes increases the chances of doing damage to your teeth or gums. (See previous post 'Ye Olde Washboarde')  If you have questions about what electric toothbrush to buy, talk to your oral health doctor about the options. (Originally posted Feb 2012)

Radiation

Recently, some news channels have been making claims that there is a link between dental x-rays and the most common type of brain tumor.  Unfortunately, how the news is explaining it, it sounds like if you get dental x-rays, you are going to get a brain tumor.  A careful look into the actual research study shows that the results are not clear.  Since the study shows that there was a higher risk for one x-ray than for multiple x-rays, and because it relied on a person's memory to describe how many x-rays they had, it would be wise to wait and see if further studies come out that more clearly show a link between x-rays and brain tumors.  Remember, x-rays from many years ago exposed people to lots more radiation than the digital x-rays of today.  In fact, see the chart here from the American Dental Association's website.  In the chart, normal x-rays to see between your teeth at your cleaning appointment are a very small amount of radiation.  Getting x-rays taken are important to ensure good oral health for your teeth, gums, and early cancer detection.  The researchers who produced the study even agree that x-rays are important, and that we should all be aware of the risks and benefits.