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How Often Should I Replace My Toothbrush?

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  When was the last time you replaced your toothbrush? We throw out expired foods, restock vitamins and supplements, and replace our beauty products often, but when it comes to health and beauty, it’s our dental hygiene that doesn’t get as much attention or thought as other areas of our regimen. However, there are important rules and tips you should follow for maintaining optimal dental health. When To Change Your Toothbrush Most dentists, and the American Dental Association (ADA), recommend changing your toothbrush every 3 months. Overtime, toothbrushes go through normal wear and tear and become less effective with removing plaque from teeth and gums. Studies have found that around 3 months is when the bristles break down and lose effectiveness. One other consideration we don’t typically think about (and probably don’t like to think about) is that germs can hide and build up in toothbrush bristles. This makes it important to replace your toothbrush after you’v...

When Should I See a Dentist?

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  We all want to keep our teeth and gums healthy. For this, we advise you to visit a  local Miami dentist at least twice a year, or every six months. However, some dental problems require visits even between these regular checkups. Too often, patients find themselves wondering whether their dental issues even warrant a dental checkup, and they end up trying to wait it out. This can be quite harmful if the problem one is facing is not only dangerous but also deteriorating with every passing day. To help you understand what kind of problems warrant a visit to the dentist, and why, we have prepared a list of dental issues. We have included brief explanations about how, if left untreated, these issues can cause further damage to your dental health. Sensitivity If your teeth suddenly become sensitive to hot or cold foods, and the pain keeps you from spending your day normally, you should see a dentist. By this, we mean that if you’re unable to eat, sleep or even spe...

8 Benefits of Invisalign

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Traditional braces, although very useful, are a thing of the past. Invisalign clear aligners are a relatively new option and have many benefits compared to metallic braces. Let’s have a look at some of these benefits. 1. Easier to Clean Braces are hard to maintain because you must clean your teeth, and your brackets, every time you eat. Using Invisalign is much simpler because you can take it off before eating. You can conveniently clean it every day, using your toothbrush and warm water. 2. Fewer Visits to The Dentist With metal braces, you need frequent visits to the dentist to get the wires tightened. With an Invisalign, the alignment process carries on smoothly, with few visits to the dentist. You even receive different alignment trays for different phases of your alignment process in advance, saving you more visits to the dentist. 3. Better Appearance Since Invisalign are clear, wearing it doesn’t make you stand out. It doesn’t change your appearance. Unl...

6 Invisalign Tips and Tricks for Surviving Your First Week

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I absolutely love that moment when I introduce a new patient to their first set of clear aligners. After much anticipation and preparation, they are ready to begin the journey to their new smile. As an orthodontist and former patient, my Invisalign tips and tricks are based on one simple philosophy: be good to your mouth and establish a consistent, healthy routine you can maintain throughout treatment. You will be wearing clear aligners for 22 hours a day, which is quite a commitment. It's also uncomfortable, and pain is common. Here are six Invisalign tips to start your smile journey on the right track and experience maximum comfort during the "invisible" teeth alignment process. 1- Protect your tongue 2- Treat your pain and discomfort 3- Use Movemints when you reinsert your trays 4- Keep track of your daily wear time 5- Remove your aligners the safe, sanitary way 6- Keep your trays clean (and clear) Invisalign Tip #1: Protect Your Tongue The plastic edges of your ...

Things You May Not Know About Medicaid Dental Benefits

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Would you believe more than 28 million people in the United States have dental benefits through Medicaid? That’s a lot of people! If you are one of them, rest assured, you aren’t alone. While Medicaid is an invaluable health care plan that has helped millions of Americans get the medical and dental care they need, it can also be confusing and difficult to navigate. Medicaid Dental Benefits Basics While it would take the rest of the year to dig through all of the rules and regulations surrounding Medicaid, we dug up a few basic things you may not know about Medicaid dental benefits. Medicaid dental benefits are not required for adults – while 46 states and the District of Columbia offer some level of Medicaid dental benefits for adults, not all states do. Which brings us to our next fact. Medicaid dental benefits vary by state – in some cases widely. In some states like Arizona, the Medicaid dental benefit only offers emergency benefits, while other...