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Dentist - Beaver Dam
210 Madison St.
Beaver Dam, WI 53916
(920) 885-6066
Dr. Andrea Larsen
Brush Like the Dentist
With the wide variety of dental hygiene products at the stores these days, choosing the right ones for you and your family can become daunting.
Below are some of Dr. Larsen's favorite products to help you maintain your oral health between your bi-annual dental exams.
Toothbrush
- ORAL-B 5000 ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH
At 8,800 oscillations per minute, electric toothbrushes clearly have the upper hand on manual brushing. Simply stated, rechargeable electric toothbrushes provide superior plaque removal over your regular manual toothbrushes. The strength is in the numbers. Without any effort to the user, a powered toothbrush provides over 17,000 brush oscillations to your teeth in the same 2 minute time frame. Even better, the toothbrush warns when you are applying too much pressure; which is a leading cause of gum recession. Additionally, with so many different types and features available, it’s easy to find one that suits your specific oral health needs.
Why the dentist likes it: "While most people can achieve fine results using a manual toothbrush, an electric toothbrush makes the task easier, especially for those with dexterity problems. The brush has a number of useful features to promote good brushing habits, and acccepts 7 different brush-heads to find the best match for your needs."
Dental Floss
- ORAL-B GLIDE DENTAL FLOSS AND FLOSS PICKS
Oral-B Glide Pro-Health Deep Clean Floss uses unique technology to deliver deep cleaning power with the extra comfort you’d expect from Glide.
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Slides up to 50% more easily in tight spaces vs. leading floss.
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Helps prevent gingivitis as part of a complete dental plan
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Up to 90% more micro textured surface area than Glide Original
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Provides a cool, clean feeling every time you floss
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Strong and shred resistant with a light coating of natural wax for improved grip
Why the dentist likes it: "Glide dental floss has a unique ribbon design that is less prone to tearing and shredding between tight fitting teeth. Try the floss picks if you have trouble with hard to reach spots in your mouth. The key is just to floss, so anything that works for you is great!"
Chewing Gum
- SUGAR FREE CHEWING GUM WITH XYLITOL
Xylitol is a sugar-free sweetener derived from natural sources, and is also produced in the human body as a by-product of a normal metabolism. When sugars and carbohydrates are broken down by plaque bacteria in your mouth, they produce plaque acids. These acids can eat away at the enamel on your teeth. This can promote tooth decay and eventually cause cavities. Unlike sugar, Xylitol is not broken down by plaque bacteria. Because it does not break down, Xylitol can help keep a neutral pH balance in your mouth, which helps protect your teeth from tooth decay.
Shopping Tip! "Any sugar-free chewing gum is an effective way to mechanically remove food particles from your mouth after meals and freshen your breath. Finding a kind you like containing xylitol is just an added bonus for your mouth's health."
Miscellaneous
- COLGATE WISPS
Colgate Wisp is a single-use mini toothbrush with a breath-freshing bead that allows you to have a clean, fresh mouth anywhere, anytime - no water or rinsing required. The Wisp bristles and soft pick help remove food and particles from between your teeth. As you brush, the refreshening bead dissolves to release a burst of freshness in your mouth.
Why the dentist likes it: "Similar to the sugar-free chewing gum, a Wisp is another great convenient item to have on hand while on the go. I keep a couple stashed in my purse and in the car for emergencies!"
Dry Mouth
- BIOTENE DRY MOUTH RELIEF PRODUCTS
With Biotene, you’ll have the confidence to enjoy life, and to talk and eat with ease throughout the day without worrying about dry mouth symptoms. Biotene’s moisturizing polymers, offer oral comfort and provide dry mouth symptom relief. They carry a range of products including, toothpaste, mouth spray, oral rinse, gum, and gel.
Why the dentist likes it: "Biotene offers a great range of products to combat dry mouth. Dry mouth is a common side effect of many precription and over the counter drugs, and puts people at a higher risk for decay."
For Children
- LISTERINE SMART RINSE
FOR KIDS
Listerine Smart Rinse for kids, is a pre-brush rinse that discovers unwanted plaque and tints it blue so kids know where to pay extra attention when brushing. It's specifically designed for kids who are learning how to brush properly. It also kills bacteria that cause bad breath. By building fun and a sense of accomplishment into the brushing routine, Listerine Smart Rinse helps kids develop healthy, long-lasting oral care habits.
Listerine Smart Rinse is alcohol-free and recommended for children ages 6 and older. It's available in three great kid-friendly flavors: Mint, Bubble Gum and Berry
Why the dentist likes it: "This is a great product that gives children a visual indicator of how well they are brushing. It is an easy way to make brushing your teeth fun. There are similar products out there for adults too!"
Mouthwash
- ACT RESTORING
- LISTERINE TOTAL CARE
ACT RESTORING MOUTHWASH
The daily use of a fluoride toothpaste is a vital part of any successful oral care program. But you may be shortchanging yourself if you rely on toothpaste alone. In fact, using water or a traditional non-fluoride mouthwash after brushing may wash away the fluoride your toothpaste left behind, greatly diminishing its effectiveness. Using ACT, which contains the maximum amount of fluoride available without a prescription, is a simple solution to make sure every member of your family gets the fluoride they need.
Why the dentist likes it: "ACT Restoring does an excellent job of providing a high, but safe, level of flouride to the user to help prevent tooth decay."
LISTERINE TOTAL CARE MOUTH WASH
In addition to providing the necessary fluoride to you teeth, Listerine contains a proprietary blend that is particularly effective for those suffering from a variety of gum disease, such as gingivitis. The active ingredients listed on Listerine bottles are essential oils menthol 0.042%, thymol 0.064%, methyl salicylate 0.06%, and eucalyptol 0.092%. In combination all have an antiseptic effect and there is some thought that methyl salicylate may have an anti-inflammatory effect as well.
Why the dentist likes it: "Listerine's unique formula of essential oils is particularly effective in the high number of people who suffer from gum disease."
Toothpaste
- SENSODYNE PRONAMEL
- CREST 3D WHITE
SENSODYNE PRONAMEL TOOTHPASTE
ProNamel has a unique formulation. It has been specially designed to keep our enamel healthy, stronger and better protected from the effects of acids – every day.
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It helps to re-harden acid softened enamel, making it more resistant to further effects of acid erosion.
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It has low abrasivity to limit further enamel erosion during the process of tooth brushing.
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It is pH neutral (non-acidic) to be kind to tooth enamel.
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It is specially formulated for people with sensitive teeth, which can be a sign of the effects of acid erosion.
Why the dentist likes it: "Sensodyne uses quality ingredients, offering a great product, not just for those with sensitive teeth, but for anyone."
CREST 3D WHITE TOOTHPASTE
Crest 3D White Vivid Toothpaste uses a patented enamel-safe teeth whitening ingredient that polishes away stains to gently whiten teeth. In fact, it removes up to 80% of surface stains for whiter teeth in just 14 days. Its unique formula creates foaming action to clean, protect and whiten teeth with a cool blast of mint as part of your complete dental health regimen. The paste-gel hybrid formulation gives you the cleaning of a toothpaste and the freshness of a gel, getting your teeth smooth and clean.
Shopping Tip! "If you are experiencing any sensitivity problems, avoid whitening toothpastes. The most important thing to look for when choosing any toothpaste is that it contains flouride."
Whitening
- CREST 3D WHITE WHITESTRIPS
Crest 3D White Whitestrips Professional Effects is thin, flexible strips that are coated with a tooth whitening gel containing peroxide. Designed to conform to the shape of your teeth, they work by keeping the whitening gel on your teeth for 30 minutes once a day to get at stain build-up on and below the tooth’s surface.
Whitening Tip! "To avoid tooth sensitivity during whitening treatment, use a sensitive toothpaste, like Sensodyne, for a minimum of one week prior to, and during the time that you are using the whitening strips."
For Babies
- SPIFFIES XYLITOL TOOTH WIPES
Spiffies tooth wipes are a disposable wet wipe designed to clean the mouth and the teeth. It is a small but sturdy towellette soaked in a liquid containing dissolved xylitol. The wipe is wrapped around the index finger and grasped by the opposing thumb so as to retain the wipe on the finger as it is applied to the mouth surfaces in a scrubbing motion. The tooth wipe is “dual action”. The textured towellete has been proven to effectively remove dental plaque from the front baby teeth and the xylitol rich liquid released into the mouth during the wiping process has been proven to reduce cavity causing bacteria on the teeth. Because the xylitol tooth wipe has a pleasant sweet taste and the finger wiping pressure is soothing like a massage, the tooth wiping experience is readily accepted by all infants and Spiffies can also be used by adults with sore or sensitive gums.
Why the dentist likes it: "Spiffies offer a unique solution to a problem that a lot of people don't even consider, that even brand new baby teeth decay. Children's teeth start to come in at 6 months, but most people wait until around age 3 for a first check-up. That's over 2 years of unmonitored oral health. Spiffies provide similar benefits as sugar-free chewing gum with xylitol. The mechanical action of the scrub cloth, with the added xylitol is an easy way to begin promoting good oral health in young children."
