Wellness

[Montana]

I wonder if they are safe to use without damaging gums. I did not know such a tool existed.

Of course, I found these after my dental visit for cleaning yesterday. 

ETA: I would have asked the hygienist about it. I will ask next time.

[sarahpanda]

I'd pass on that and leave the cleaning to the professionals.

[AuntG]

No, I brush and floss. When I get my teeth cleaned, they scrape off the plaque.

[Pook]

@ Montana  Are you talking about those water pics on steriods that some hygenists use and now can be bought?  My hygenist uses one when I have an area that is sensitive but it is usually just as painful as the scraping around those area

Even if they worked, I would not forgo my 6 month checkup.  I know I rarely have any plaque since I brush and floss and take care of my teeth.  Except for extreme cases where someone might have a lot of plaque in spite of proper brushing, etc.  I don't see where it's needed.  According to my dentist and hygeniest, no one should have much plaque buildup now especially with sonic toothbrushes and water pics if they brush at least twice a day and never go to bed without brushing.   You still need xrays every so often to locate potential issues and a check for cavities or potential cavities in the future put on a watch.  

[proudlyfromNJ]

@Pook. They use the high speed water pik thing on me. I have very sensitive middle lower teeth. They put a ‘topical’ on them with a q tip thing before using the pik and I feel no pain.

[PinkyPetunia]

@ Montana   What electrical device are you talking about?  Since you didn't mention anything specific I can only guess which device you mean:  sonic toothbrush, waterpik, what?

[SilleeMee]

No, I didn't even know they made such a thing. I use stainless steel dental tools on my teeth to remove plaque. I think I might have to buy an electric one, too. I need to look at them closely and see which one i should get.

[Anonymous032819]

Do you mean this?

[alicedee]

I use an electric toothbrush, floss and a Waterpik.  Last week had my first cleaning in four years (long story....move, no insurance, ...).  I had very little plaque and the dentist told me to keep up what I am doing, as it is working.

[Montana]

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@Anonymous032819 wrote:

Do you mean this?

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@Anonymous032819 

That looks like it.  There are several models on Amazon.

I am always looking for tools to keep my teeth and gums in good shape between dental visits - only for at home maintenance. I get my teeth professionally cleaned every four months.

Yesterday, the hygienist complimented me on how clean my teeth were.  She had very little scraping to do. But I want to do even better.