mardi 29 septembre 2020
Brushing Your Teeth in the Shower is OK - As Long as You Follow This Dentist's Tips

I've always admired my roommate's early-bird tendencies. She claims that jumping in the shower immediately after her alarm goes off keeps her from crawling back in bed - doing her dental hygiene routine under that running water gets her fully alert and ready to take on the day, too
At this point, I'll do nearly anything to become a morning person, but I've had my suspicions about how sanitary it is to brush your teeth in the shower.
That's why I chatted with David C. Gordon, DDS, a partner at the Gordon Center for General and Advanced Dentistry in Gaithersburg, MD, before reinventing my morning rituals. Overall, he doesn't see many problems with brushing your teeth in the shower - he just warns that the approach doesn't always set you up to practice good oral hygiene consistently.
"The most important thing is that everyone brushes their teeth twice a day for two minutes [at a time] with fluoride toothpaste and flosses once a day," he says.
"Most people shower once a day, but everyone should brush their teeth twice a day. Brushing in the shower either sets people up to only brush once a day or rush brushing the second time because it is not part of their routine."
Gordon believes that those who brush in the shower are less likely to floss and use mouthwash because it's an added step outside their shower routine. He believes that keeping a waterpik (although it shouldn't fully replace your floss!) and mouthwash in the shower could help keep you on track.
And while you're upgrading your oral hygiene supplies for the shower, consider investing in a toothbrush holder that'll keep yours upright and dry.
"It can be unhealthy to store your toothbrush in the shower, but it does not have to be. A toothbrush shouldn't be wet or damp all the time. If the shower does not dry out, the toothbrush can't dry out, and bacteria can grow on it," he says.
"There are plenty of suction cup toothbrush holders available for purchase. Stay away from the ones that enclose the toothbrush bristles as they can prevent the toothbrush from drying, and that will help bacteria form."
As long as you follow Gordon's tips, practice good oral hygiene consistently, and your dentist says to keep doing what you're doing come your six-month check-up, you should be OK to continue brushing your teeth in the shower.
Click here for more health and wellness stories, tips, and news.
Related Posts:
Dad's Viral Message About Caring For His 6 Girls While Mom's Away: "I'm Not the Babysitter" With his wife heading out of town for a work trip, Jeremy Martin-Weber knew that there would be a lot to do in caring for their six children. As Jessica boarded her flight, this Oregon dad thought about who was going to pic… Read More
Treat Your Mom With One of These 15 Great Gifts Moms are always taking care of everyone else, so it's important to make sure they feel appreciated. Whether you're looking for a birthday gift, a Mother's Day gift, or just a present to show her you care, we've picked out th… Read More
Mom Perfectly Sums Up the Moment a Teacher Finally Noticed What She's "Always Seen" in Her Son When Meg Rowe made the difficult decision to put her 2-year-old son in preschool, she had no idea that the separation from Teddy wouldn't be the only struggle she'd have to endure. "A couple months in, his teachers casually … Read More
This Mom's Important Message to Another Mom After Witnessing What Her Kids Did at a Water Park Having to stand in line before getting the chance to go on a water slide can be difficult for kids, but patiently waiting your turn can be even harder if you have autism. Stephanie Skaggs understood what that struggle would… Read More
Even an Engineer Can't Solve This Second-Grade Math Problem Parents often find themselves helping children with their homework, and once in a while even the adults struggle to solve a difficult problem. One parent, however, was so stumped by his child's homework that he took his fru… Read More
0 comments:
Enregistrer un commentaire