Wipe Out the Bad Bugs!

Now that we've discussed some mechanical cleaning done at home and at the dental office, let's talk about chemicals!

 

We've known for many years that chemicals affect our mouths and our oral health.  While there isn't a magical medicine that can cure cavities or gum disease, there are a couple of things that bring our mouths into balance:

lasers and chlorhexidine.

 

Lasers have been in dentistry for decades, but only recently have they been used to kill bacteria.  They are used in laser bacterial reduction therapy, to kill some of the soupy mix left over from your professional cleaning.  Lasers kill bacteria!

 

The mouth rinse called chlorhexidine gluconate is used to kill bacteria chemically over a long period of time.  Chlorhexidine has been around for many years also, and it helps our bodies to heal by cleaning out wounds.  It kills bacteria, but it can also stain our teeth if used too much.  So how to use it long-term?  Using small amounts for one week out of a month still gives us the benefit of killing more bacteria, but doesn't have the level of side effects from more frequent use.

 

Talk to your dentist about prevention by killing the bacteria, and you will be so glad you did!