brushing

Tooth Tips | What Makes Your Gums Bleed

April 12, 2022 by Daniel Bedard

There are many possible underlying issues that can cause bleeding gums, ranging from mild to serious.

Brushing Too Hard
Flossing Infrequently

Making slight adjustments to your oral health habits can make all the difference. If it’s determined that your bleeding gums are due to poor oral hygiene, make sure to brush gently twice a day using a soft-bristle brush, floss once a day, and use an antiseptic mouthwash.

Ill-fitting dentures

Dentures that do not fit properly often rub against the gum tissue, causing tenderness, inflammation, and bleeding. Visit your dentist for a denture adjustment if you’re facing these issues.

As for more serious causes of bleeding:

Gingivitis (the accumulation of plaque along the gum line)
Periodontitis (an advanced stage of gingivitis)
Cigarette Smoking
Vitamin Deficiency (particularly C and K)
Hormonal Changes that occur during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause
Bleeding Disorders (including Hemophilia and Leukemia)
Blood Thinning Medications (including warfarin, aspirin, and heparin)

No matter the cause of your gum bleeding, visit your dentist to determine the severity of your situation and which course of treatment is right for you.

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Tooth Tips | No Snacks Between Brushing and Bedtime!

March 24, 2022 by Daniel Bedard

Everyone knows that brushing twice a day is at the heart of our dental health, but the number of times we brush is only half the story; the timing is equally vital in maintaining healthy teeth and gums.

When you brush your teeth at night, make sure you don’t eat or drink anything afterward (except water!).

Otherwise, you’ll give bacteria ample time to feed off food particles, which produces tooth-attacking acids that can cause cavities. While saliva production helps protect your teeth from these acids during the day, your body produces much less saliva during sleep, making your mouth dry and putting you at an even greater risk of developing cavities.

Brushing and flossing before going to sleep — with no snacking in between — is the best way to keep harmful bacterial organisms from thriving.

And remember, the same bacteria that leads to decay also produces foul odours, and morning breath is no joke!

Tooth Tips | Make Brushing Fun for Your Kids!

March 1, 2022 by Daniel Bedard

Helping your child get in the habit of brushing twice a day for two minutes isn’t always easy, but a little creativity can help them develop a routine that sticks! Good oral health starts at an early age, and the quicker your child learns to take off their teeth, the fewer issues they’ll have in the future.

Brushing Doesn’t Have to Be Boring!

If it feels like a chore, brushing is something your child will try to avoid at all costs. Why not go the opposite direction and make it a dance party? Play your child’s favourite song and a two-minute brushing session will go by in the blink of an eye. Whether you add music or a storytime activity or any other creative flair, the key thing to remember is to simply have a bit of fun.

Choosing the Right Toothpaste and Brushes

Kids tend to identify with their favorite character, and chances are that most of the pop culture characters they love have their own lines of toothpaste and toothbrushes. This can help get your kids way more excited for teeth-brushing time! It’s also important to get your kids involved in the whole process, so let them pick out their own brush and encourage them to try different kinds of toothpaste until they find one the one that’s right for them! Giving kids a sense of ownership will help foster a positive relationship between them and their dental routine.

Remember, we want the habit to stick, not plaque!

955 boul. Saint-Jean #302, Pointe-Claire, QC H9R 5K3

514.694.8880 | PUR.CA

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Should You Brush 3 Times a Day?

August 24, 2021 by Daniel Bedard

Version française

If brushing for two minutes twice per day is the norm, would brushing three times per day (i.e. once after every meal) be even more beneficial for your dental hygiene?

Worried about over-brushing?

If you brush too vigorously or with a hard-bristle brush, you risk damaging your enamel, the protective layer shielding your teeth from harm. You should take care to avoid brushing too soon after a meal, as your enamel is in a vulnerable, easily-damaged state for around a half hour.

While over-brushing can be a very real issue, it has more to do with your brushing technique rather than the number of times you brush per day. Brushing three times a day is perfectly fine as long as you brush gently and carefully, avoiding the issues mentioned above!

But is there a real difference between brushing three times vs twice?

Your dentist might tell you to brush more than twice a day if you have dental issues that require you to work harder to achieve good dental hygiene. But there’s a bit more to the story; according to a study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, brushing three times a day is linked to a healthier heart. This doesn’t necessarily mean that brushing so often directly prevents heart issues, but a healthy dental system is certainly indicative of healthy habits in a broader sense.

Twice is enough for most people, but three times won’t hurt!

We recommend brushing your teeth at least twice a day: once in the morning (i.e. around 30 minutes after breakfast), and once before bed! But if you want to go for three, that’s no issue, just as long as you don’t brush too hard or too soon after eating! Regardless of whether you brush twice or three times a day, brushing for two minutes at a time is extremely important in effectively removing plaque, so make sure you don’t rush the process.

And remember: floss at least once a day, preferably just before bed! Brushing is important, but your dental health is dependent on lots of other factors covered in some of our other blogs:

The Link Between Your Gums and Heart

How Smoking Affects Your Oral Health

Periodontitis: Signs & Symptoms of Gum Disease

How to Properly Floss Your Teeth

Eliminate Mask Breath!

January 21, 2021 by Daniel Bedard

Version française

Wearing a mask is a vital way to help prevent the spread of Covid-19, but wearing one while having bad breath isn’t super fun! Here are some of the ODA‘s tips on how to prevent mask mouth and keep your breath nice and fresh:

Brush: Brush your teeth twice a day to get rid of plaque buildup and food particles!

Floss: Flossing gets to areas your toothbrush can’t reach, removing bacteria that can lead to bad breath.

Tongue-scrape: Lots of people tend to skip the tongue during their oral health routine, but using a brush or scraper on your tongue can get rid of even more bacteria to leave your mouth feeling fresher!

Mouthwash: Swishing with an alcohol-free mouthwash just before wearing a mask helps to keep halitosis at bay.

Water: Drinking flat water, particularly after eating, is a great way to wash away food debris and acids. Promoting saliva flow is vital in keeping your mouth clean, so make sure to prevent dryness by regularly drinking water!