My Top 10 New Year Resolutions for a having a healthy Teeth in 2016

Brush twice daily for at least 2 mins.Use a fluoride containing toothpaste.Floss regularly.Change my toothbrush every three months.Eat less of sweets and chocolates. I will eat more fruits instead.Say no to toothpicks.Never open bottle tops with my teeth.Relax on my bone chewing habit.Go for professional...

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Caution! Avoid opening bottle tops with your Teeth

I often cringe at the sight of anyone trying to open bottle tops with their teeth because I imagine the tooth giving way instantly. Though the teeth is very hard, it sometimes fractures when subjected to force in appropriately applied to it. When a bottle opener can not be readily found, some resort...

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5 Reasons you need Professional Cleaning/Scaling and Polishing

Professional cleaning of the teeth otherwise known as Scaling and Polishing involves the removal of dirts that have accumulated on the teeth overtime. The accumulation may be in form of brown stains or yellowish/greenish colored tartar(calculus). The following are the reasons why you need to have your...

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Tips for relieving your baby's Teething symptoms

Doing the following will help calm your baby's teething symptoms.Place your clean finger in your baby's mouth and gently rub the gums. This produces a soothing relief. Placing a clean wet cloth in the mouth may also be of help. If your baby wants to chew, soft healthy unsweetened biscuits...

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Misconceptions about Teething

Your child is said to be teething when he/she is bringing out his first set of teeth. This takes place about the age of 6months.Some of the teething symptoms include drooling saliva, being irritable and loss of appetite. A teething child may have a slight increase in temperature. You might also notice...

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What age should my Child visit the Dentist

Some parents ignore their children's dental health because they feel they will lose their baby teeth anyway. This is a wrong belief as the baby teeth play an important role in feeding which ensures the child has the required nutrients to help him/her grow and stay healthy. The baby teeth is also vital...

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Merry Christmas

Flexidentist wishes all her readers a Cavity free Christmas.Remember watch those sweets, brush your teeth, use the dental floss and have fun.&nb...

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Stay healthy, stay Cavity free this holiday

Christmas season is a conducive time for holes to develop. It's a season where we have so many sweet things at our disposal. From the hampers full of chocolates and sweets to the sweet drinks, Ice cream and cakes we stock the house with.Children are mostly affected because the holiday excitment increases...

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What Tongue Scrapers do

Tongue scrapers/tongue cleaners are tools which help get rid of bacteria, food debris and dead cells from the tongue. The presence of these debris may cause bad breath. Toothbrushes can be used to clean the tongue but tongue scrappers are more effective. Those who have coated tongues will benefit from...

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Relieving Mouth Sores in Children

If your child is irritable, has fever and refuses to eat, you might need to check the mouth for the presence of sores. Primary herpetic gingivostomatitis is a viral infection of the mouth which is characterized by mouth sores, fever and irritability. Many parents have wrongly attributed their child's...

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Benefits of using Mouthwash

Mouthwashes/mouthrinses are liquids that reduce the action of bacteria in the mouth. They do not replace regular oral hygiene practices(Toothbrushing, tongue cleaning and flossing), rather, they compliment it. The American Dental Association says that brushing and flossing is enough in most cases. Mouthwashes...

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Warm water and Salt Rinse Benefits

Warm water and Salt mouth rinse is a simple yet effective relief for many dental conditions. Many under-rate it's effectiveness and miss out on the benefits. Salt is an antibacterial agent that helps prevent bacteria from multiplying, it also eliminates swelling. The warm water encourages the flow of...

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Artificial Gap tooth: What’s the big deal?

A ‘gap tooth’ is the name given to the space between two teeth. It is also known as diastema. A ‘gap tooth’ occurring between the upper front teeth gives a unique look which many crave for. Africans associate ‘gap tooth’ with beauty and it is mostly appreciated in women. Some who do not...

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Problems associated with the Wisdom tooth

The wisdom tooth also known as the third molar usually comes into the mouth between the ages of 17 and 25 years. It is the 8th and last tooth on each quadrant(the average adult has a complete set of teeth which is 32 in number. The 32 teeth can be divided into 4 quadrants: the upper right, upper left,...

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7 Tips for effective Toothbrushing

Use 'medium' textured toothbrush.Use a fluoride containing toothpaste.Brush all surfaces of your teeth. Many people tend to concentrate only on the outer surfaces of the teeth(the part that shows when they smile or talk) ignoring the inner surfaces(where the tongue rests) and chewing surfaces. Don't...

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Help! Another tooth is growing behind my Child's Baby tooth

The sight of another tooth growing behind the baby tooth can be quite alarming for most parents. This funny look is known as 'shark teeth'. First time parents who do not know that their child's baby teeth will fall off and be replaced by permanent ones are usually more alarmed.When a child is about...

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Tips for Getting relief from Toothache

Having toothache during the day is no big deal as you can easily stop by at the dentists office to get relief. However if you develop toothache during the night/weekends when the office is closed, you will need the following tips to give you relief:Warm water and salt rinse: get a small cup of warm...

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Tongue Tie

Tongue tie/Ankyloglossia is a condition in which the tongue experiences restrictions in movement; it is a birth anomaly. A person with tongue tie has a short lingual frenum/frenulum(the string of tissue that attaches the tongue to the floor of the mouth) which restricts tongue movements, they usually...

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Choosing your toothbrush

Buying a good toothbrush can sometimes be a huge task as there are numerous brands to choose from.The following tips will help you get a good toothbrush that will clean effectively and cause no harm to your gums or teeth.Get a well known Brand: It is advisable to go for brands that are well known....

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Ideal Toothpaste for children less than 6 years

Children love the taste of toothpaste and will not hesitate to lick and swallow large portions if within their reach. Sometimes these children lick the paste on their brush and come back asking for more. When children swallow large amounts of toothpaste, they might come down with a dental condition...

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How to know the Best Toothpaste to use

Toothpastes are accessories for cleaning the teeth. They come in gels/pastes and are put on toothbrushes to clean the teeth. Toothpastes help prevent gum disease and tooth decay. There are different types of toothpastes and consumers often want the best available option.Major content of Toothpastes...

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How to prevent or stop Bad breath/Mouth Odour

People who have persistent mouth odour are often shy to talk about it. If you have bad breath, don't feel bad; rather, seek help from your dentist as a single visit could be all you need to stop the psychological trauma.Since we know the causes(previous post), how then can one Prevent Mouth Odour?Adopt...

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Causes of Bad Breath/Mouth Odour

We all experience bad breath at one point or the other. When a person wakes up after long hours of sleep, there is usually an accompanying odour on opening his mouth. This happens because the mouth has been shut for long and we produce less saliva while sleeping.The following are the causes of bad breath:Food...

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Regular use of Toothpicks can damage your gums and teeth

Toothpicks are found in nearly every home, restaurant and event. They are rounded wooden sticks with sharp tips; the frequent use of which is damaging to the health of the gums and teeth.The average Nigerian loves eating meat so he has toothpicks handy. The urge to use toothpicks arise when there are...

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Stop your Child's Thumb Sucking/Tongue Thrusting Habit before it is late

I was at a Christmas concert yesterday enjoying the songs rendered by the choir when suddenly my attention was drawn to two little girls sitting a few rows away. I guess they were sisters. The older one who was about 6 years old was sleeping and thrusting her tongue while the younger one who was...

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Why Chewing Bone is bad for your Teeth

Bone chewing is a very common practice here in Nigeria. In fact, it is widely believed that one needs to chew bone to get calcium for strong bones and teeth. This is not true as there are richer sources of calcium which includes dairy products such as milk, cheese and yoghurt. Dark leafy vegetables...

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Using Hard Toothbrushes can damage your Teeth.

Do you know that using hard toothbrushes or brushing very hard wears off your teeth?Hard toothbrushes are used for various reasons. Some use it because it is cheap and easily available while some others prefer it because they feel the harder their brush is, the better it cleans.The hazard of using hard...

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Why you have bleeding gums

Do your gums bleed or do you know someone whose gums bleed? Don't panic, its a common occurence. Bleeding gums are indicators that the gums are unhealthy. It could be quite alarming to notice blood in your saliva when brushing. Healthy gums do not bleed spontanously however, people with unhealthy...

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How Tetracycline Causes Permanent Teeth Stains

Tetracycline, an antibiotic which can be easily identified by its colour, red and yellow is used for treating a variety of infections. However, it has been implicated in the permanent staining of the teeth. When Tetracycline is taken by a pregnant woman or given to a child below the age of 8 years,...

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A hole in the tooth: A major cause of Toothache.

Seeking Dental care in the absence of pain is not a common practice in this part of the world. Majority of people who visit the dentist do so mainly as a result of pain due to tooth decay.Someone with a hole in his tooth will complain of shock/pain when food particles get in/get stuck in the hole or...

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Tips to Overcoming fear of dentists (Dental Phobia)

Many often associate the dental clinic with pain or discomfort. It could be due to a past experience which was unpleasant or as a result of a wrong impression gotten from friends or colleagues who have had dental treatments.Dental phobia is defined as the fear of dentists and/or dental procedures. People...

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