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Brushing Technique

Good oral health starts with brushing! Brush your teeth for at least 2 minutes twice daily using a soft bristle toothbrush or a Sonicare electric toothbrush. Use an ADA approved fluoride toothpaste of your choice. They all work about the same; so go for taste! Place the toothbrush on your teeth with bristles angled towards the gum line. Brush in a circular motion on the cheek side and a back and forth motion on the tongue side so that some of the bristles sweep under the gum line. The tooth structure under the gum line is the target to prevent gum disease. Slowly move the toothbrush around the mouth. Be systematic taking two teeth at a time. Start with the upper right and work your way to the upper left (This should take ~ 30 seconds). Then move to the inside of the upper followed by the outside and inside of the lower (A total of 2 minutes). The inside of the lower front teeth are the hardest to brush. Tilt the toothbrush handle up by your nose and with firm pressure use the tip of the brush. Don’t forget to brush the tongue, cheeks, and roof of mouth. More bacteria are harbored on the tongue than on the teeth. It can help with halitosis (bad breath)!

If you have questions or are concerned about your oral health, call Kalamazoo cosmetic dentist Dr. Brett Magnuson at 269-290-7275.

The Dental Tribune, also known as “The World’s Dental Newspaper”, is a top publication in the dental community reaching millions of dentists and dental professionals world wide. The publication reports the latest news about everything in the world of dentistry.

• More than 34,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year (Squamous cell carcinoma). It will cause over 8,000 deaths
• The death rate associated with this cancer is particularly high not because it is hard to discover or diagnose, but due to the cancer being routinely discovered late in its development
• In its early stages it may not be noticed by the patient, as it can frequently grow without producing pain or symptoms
• 75 % of these cancers are related to alcohol and tobacco use
• Smoking and drinking promote the invasion of HPV
• Alcohol prohibits the production of p53 protein that normally protects the cell
• Carcinogens in tobacco damage cell DNA
• Oral cancer had been a man’s disease 6 to 1; now 2 to 1 (Oral Cancer foundation) Women are smoking and drinking more.
• Alcohol and tobacco are responsible for most oral cancers. However, doctors have noticed an increase of oral cancer in patients with little or no history of smoking or drinking.
• 25 % Patients diagnosed with oral cancer have no risk factors
• Current research indicates that HPV positive disease is rapidly changing these ratios and age groups
• HPV that causes cervical cancer is now being linked to oral cancer
• At a cellular level the mouth is structurally very similar to the vagina and cervix.
• Over 80 different types of HPV have been identified
• Most HPV are very common, harmless, noncancerous and treatable, i.e. producing warts on the skin.
• At any one time about 1/3 of 25 year olds in the US are infected.
• 95% will get rid of the infection within one year.
• There are other forms of HPV which are sexually transmitted. The common cancer-associated types are HPV-16 and Hpv-18.
• Known to cause up to 95% of cervical cancer.
• Linked to oral cancer
• The virus thrives in a moist dark environment.
• Like cervical cancer, in oral cancer, the virus is transferred thru sexual contact.
• This type of cancer is increasing about 3 percent each year.
• Younger, non smoking patients under the age of 50 are the fastest growing segment of the oral cancer population
• Mothers harboring the virus can transmit the virus to their babies during birth.
• HPV is the most prevalent STD in the US at present.
• Being HPV positive does not mean that you will develop cancer.
• Tobacco/alcohol lesions tend to favor the anterior tongue and mouth, and HPV positive lesions tend to favor the posterior oral cavity (tonsils and base of tongue)
• CDC claims that 20 to 30 percent of head and neck cancers are related to HPV
• When oral cancer is detected early, oral cancer patients have a 80-90% survival rate
• A thorough oral, head and neck cancer examination can easily be completed in less than 5 minutes. It primarily consists of inspection and palpation. Multiple studies have consistently shown that the earliest manifestation of many oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell cancers is a persistent erythroplastic lesion. Must look for both red and white (leukoplakia) lesions on the oral mucosa, as well as detection through palpation of indurated and fixated masses within the tissues.
• The lips may be involved with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the aerodigestive tract or both SCC and basal cell carcinomas (BCC) of the skin.
• The inside of the cheek or buccal mucosa must be spread away from the teeth and gums to visualize the sulcus which connects this area to the gums (gingiva)
• One of the most common sites of oral cancer is on the lateral aspect of the tongue. Also palpation of the dorsum and lateral margins of the tongue, looking for any masses or firm/fixated areas.
• Floor of the mouth is the horseshoe-shaped area that extends from the alveolar ridge of the mandible to the ventral aspect of the tongue.
• Palpate with a gloved finger beneath the tongue, and another under the chin on the exterior skin.
• Check for red spots, white spots, ulcerations, rough areas, asymmetry, growths, or other masses on the hard and soft palate.
• The oropharynx and tonsils viewed by depressing the back of the tongue.
• Chemiluminescence may be used as an adjunct in the examination. Marketed under the names ViziLite Plus and MicroLux DL.
• Patient first rinses with a 1% acetic acid solution followed by direct visual examination of the oral cavity using a blue-white light source.
• The 1% acetic acid wash is used to help remove surface debris and increase the visibility of epithelial cell nuclei. Under blue-white illumination, normal epithelium appears lightly bluish while abnormal epithelium appears distinctly white.
• Toluidine blue is a vital dye that stains abnormal tissues. It has been used for decades on suspicious areas as an aid to the identification of mucosal abnormalities of the cervix as well as in the oral cavity.
• Excisional biopsy is the gold standard to diagnose suspicious areas that do not heal in two weeks. Most areas are benign or precancerous.

To view photos taken by Kalamazoo cosmetic dentist Dr. Brett Magnuson CLICK HERE.

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