“Defense Wins Championships”
and to be the Superbowl Champion, the team will have to control the “Red Zone” the area between the 20 yard line and the goal line. Who will win the Superbowl? The victor will control the “Red Zone.” Dentistry also has a “Red Zone” which when controlled, will produce VICTORY. Football has its 20 yards, but in your mouth it is 2 millimeters that matters. The “Dental Red Zone” is the area above the gum line. When every effort is made to control this zone, you win; you beat the diseases called decay, gingivitis, periodontitis and bad breath. How do you control the Red Zone? Have a simple game plan, something that everyone can understand.
The Game Plan - “Two-way Toothbrushing”
My father, my dental mentor, Leon Nelson, D.D.S. in th 1960’s had to explain oral hygiene to a population that did not know what plaque was and rarely had heard of floss. While on a long trek in the mountains of northern California, he had an epiphany . . . when he forgot his toothpaste. He coined the concept of Two-way Toothbrushing, explaining the difference between Brushing for Refreshment and Vibrating for Cleaning.
The Purpose = Clean, not just Refreshed. How often should you brush? Floss? Why do you brush? What is your goal when you put a brush in your mouth, great taste or clean teeth? Is your goal the same morning and night? Food vs. Plaque removal?
Clean Once a Day - Plaque forms every 24 hours. Most of us feel no guilt flossing once daily but assume brushing three times a day is our goal. Since bacterial plaque takes time to reform, the recommendation for flossing has always been once per day. Brushing, when the goal is CLEAN TEETH must be done once a day as well. Your personal regimen may involve more than brushing and flossing. It may include rinses, toothpicks, proxabrushes and more. The key is that this ritual must be done once daily.
No Toothpaste when Cleaning.
We do not put toothpaste on floss and it cleans by disorganizing bacterial plaque. Toothbrushes clean as well, without toothpaste. Why no paste? It does not help disorganize plaque, teeth artificially taste clean before the plaque is removed, it makes the tongue less sensitive to feeling the film of plaque coating your teeth. When is paste useful? After cleaning the plaque, (I like doing this while watching TV, BEFORE I am tired.) paste applied for less than one minute, removes stain, delivers fluoride, and refreshes.
How Long? Brush = 4 Minutes. People that brush with paste, usually do not brush long enough. Why? The paste tastes clean and we stop when the mouth feels clean. Therefore, we do not recommend toothpaste for cleaning. “Clean Teeth Taste Good” but not all good “tasting” teeth are “clean”. 4 Minutes brushing allows about 10 seconds per two teeth (the length of a toothbrush). Sonicare brushes, our favorites, have a 30 second timer and that helps. Clean the upper right for 30 seconds, move to the upper left, then inside and when the brush stops you have cleaned one arch of teeth. Repeat on the lowers.
How Long? Floss with Purpose Morning flossing is usually quick. I call it speed-flossing. The purpose is food removal, not disorganization of plaque. Speed-flossing in the morning or at after lunch is fine, but at night, take time, break-up the plaque and clean.
That’s It? Of course, we all want a white, sparkling, refreshing smile framed by healthy gums. Yes, you can brush more than once a day but remember to do it well, once, at night. Yes, use toothpaste, but don’t let it get in the way of cleaning effectively. There are many tools at our disposal, but the key is to clean well daily.
I once had a friend ask, why not brush 2 minutes twice a day? Well, I asked, why not brush 1 minute 4 times a day? The purpose is to clean. A systematic approach as touched on above will help you control your oral health and the Dental Red Zone.
The final test - The Tongue Test
After all is done, before you apply paste to your teeth, use your tongue and check the Red Zone. Is the film, the sweater of plaque gone? No? Go at it again. Yes? You WIN!!!!!