Foxbury Dental Blog Posts
Blog One
Task – This is a monthly blog post on WaterPik water flossers. The client had recently entered a contract with WaterPik and wanted to promote the product. Click here to see the post live on Foxbury’s website.
What, an Easier Way To Floss? I'm Down for That!
Have you ever wondered what causes unsightly and often painful cavities to form in the spaces between our teeth?
Cavities happen when food gets stuck in the gaps and we fail to clean it out regularly. Slowly, the food particles begin to rot, taking our teeth along for the ride.
Regular flossing is the only way to ensure you never have to worry about cavities. But not everyone can do it right.
The Trouble With Traditional Flossing
Using a string of floss to clean in between the teeth can be fiddly, particularly when teeth aren’t perfectly straight. People don’t like to floss because it can take a lot of manoeuvring to get rid of the food and plaque.
We hear patients complaining that they hate flossing. The good news is that there is a better, easier, and more effective way to keep cavities at bay.
Enter Flossing 2.0, AKA. the Waterpik.
What Is A Waterpik?
Waterpik is a specialised oral health appliance used for water flossing which is an alternative to the more conventional method of flossing. The flosser sprays water directly into the mouth and below the gum margins. This technique employs water pressure to massage gums and push food particles away from teeth instead of scraping, promoting healthier gums.
Oral irrigation like the Waterpik is much more efficient at reducing plaque and gingivitis than old-fashioned string floss. It is suitable for anyone who struggles with traditional flossing.
Research favours it as well. In a survey, 23 of 29 dentists and dental hygienists favoured the Waterpik brand because of its longevity.
Benefits Of Waterpik For You
There are numerous advantages to using a Waterpik instead of another interdental device. Some of the benefits include:
Best At Getting Rid Of Plaque
Plaque is constantly accumulating on teeth. If you don’t remove the plaque regularly, a new coating forms and stays on your teeth every minute. Brushing alone is ineffective in eliminating bacteria accumulation between the teeth.
A study determined that the Waterpik water flosser reduced 74.4% of total mouth plaque and 81.6% of plaque between teeth. In contrast, the dental floss group saw a 57.7% and 63.45% decrease in plaque in these areas. Hence, dental floss can’t compete with a Waterpik since it uses water pressure and power pulses to eliminate plaque.
Suitable For Diabetics
Patients with diabetes should always have access to a water flosser because people with diabetes are more likely to suffer from gum disease. They may endure bleeding gums and pain when they floss their teeth traditionally. WaterPik, on the other hand, gently massages and pushes out food with water pressure making the entire process almost pleasurable.
Maintains Good Hygiene
When orthodontic appliances are in your mouth like braces, keeping food from getting trapped in the spaces between your teeth can be challenging. When you have braces, traditionally, flossing your teeth can be difficult. Instead of just brushing and making an effort to floss around dental appliances, using a water flosser is a surefire way to get your teeth cleaner and brighter than before.
Enables Deep Cleaning
Waterpik helps maintain oral hygiene, particularly for patients with gum disease. In contrast to regular floss, water flossers can clean deep into our periodontal pockets, eliminating food particles and plaque that traditional floss cannot access. This is because water flossers use a pressurised stream of water.
The Natural Way To Obtain A Brighter Smile
One of the straightforward and all-natural approaches to maintaining pearly-white teeth is to use a Waterpik water flosser.
Water flossing removes the extra plaque that can cause yellowing of your teeth, and it does so without creating dental sensitivity, which can be a side effect of other whitening treatments.
Prevents and Heals Gingivitis
Healthy gums should not bleed and should not become inflamed. If you have inflamed and bleeding gums, indicating gum disease, it’s typically brought on by germs in plaque. The only way to get rid of it is to brush regularly and use a Waterpik. Using a Waterpik consistently is beneficial for cleaning the spaces between teeth and maintaining good oral health.
Better Quality of Breath
Nobody wants to be the person at work who has breath that smells like coffee all the time. Plaques and germs that live underneath the gum line and contribute to foul breath can be removed from the mouth using a Waterpik water flosser. It makes you feel like you just left the dentist, even when performing the treatment conveniently in your own home.
Now that we’ve checked out the benefits let’s look at some valuable tips.
Tips To Use Waterpik Water Flosser
Here are a few handy tips to help you better use your Waterpik water flosser.
Determine Which Pressure Settings Are Appropriate
The efficiency of your water flosser may be affected positively or negatively depending on the pressure setting you use. It is crucial for those using the water flosser to reduce plaque following gum disease or when sporting fixed dental implants like bridges and crowns.
Waterpik, for example, provides the user with three, six, or ten-pressure settings depending upon the model you buy. As a tip, if it’s your first time using a water flosser, begin with the lowest setting and gradually work your way up to the one that best suits your needs or is recommended by your dentist.
Replace Tips As Recommended
To get the most out of your water flosser, replace the tips as directed. The recommended replacement intervals can differ depending on the kind of water flosser you purchase and the specific tip you use.
Waterpik, for example, suggests replacing their Implant Denture Tip and Classic Jet Tip every six months, whereas bristle tips should be replaced every three months as they deteriorate more quickly. Water flosser tips should be replaced according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer.
Use Once A Day
Brushing teeth at least twice a day and flossing at least once daily is the best strategy to avoid dental decay. Replace your standard flossing method with water flossing in your oral hygiene routine. In addition to this, you should always floss your teeth before you brush them.
When you floss your teeth before you brush them, you not only remove more plaque than after you floss but also ensure that a greater quantity of fluoride gets left on your teeth. Fluoride strengthens our defences against the acids produced by plaque, lowering our risk of experiencing tooth decay.
Conclusion
Oral hygiene is incomplete without flossing. While standard floss and toothbrushes can clean our teeth, water flossers can reach the periodontal pockets in our mouths and are a great alternative to keep our mouths healthy and pleasant. The gentler nature of a water flosser makes it ideal for daily oral hygiene because it is less likely to irritate gums or cause tooth or gum damage.
Book Your Dental Check-up With Foxbury Dental
Annual dental check-ups and regular cleaning are also crucial. Your dentist can check for disease symptoms, and your dental hygienist can clean your mouth and treat plaque between visits. At Foxbury Dental, we provide all kinds of dental services to help maintain your oral health. So, book your dental check-up with Foxbury Dental today.
BOOK NOW
References:
The strategist – 4 Best Water Flossers
https://nymag.com/strategist/article/best-water-picks-flossers-waterpik-airfloss.html
Pub Med – Evaluation of the Efficacy of Water flossers
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24282867/
Forbes.com – Healthy Body – Dental Implants Guide
Blog 2
Task – This is just one of a series of monthly blog posts I currently write for Foxbury Dental. Click here to see it live on the site
Patient Portal – A Window Into Effortless Management of Your Dental Care
Not so long ago, the only way to communicate with your dentist or book an appointment was to ring the receptionist at the dental practice. This could involve hanging on the phone while they tried to obtain the relevant information from the dentist or being assured that someone would call you back. At best, the procedure was time-consuming, and at worst, it could be incredibly frustrating.
Technology has revolutionised the dental industry, making the experience of visiting the dentist and undergoing treatment a more convenient and pleasurable experience.
Nowadays, patient portals are reshaping all of that. Secure sites accessed by a mobile device or website URL give patients instant access to their personal patient information enabling them to manage their oral health 24/7 without having to ring their surgery.
So, how do patient portals work, and how do they benefit patients?
The idea behind an online portal is that it provides patients with a more streamlined dental service before and after their visit. It offers numerous benefits that allow anyone to take control of their oral health from the comfort of their home.
Let’s take a closer look at how you can benefit from the Foxbury patient portal.
Book an appointment with your dentist or hygienist
How often have you tried getting through to a busy dental practice without success? Booking an appointment with your dentist or hygienist at Foxbury is easy at any time of the day via our patient portal. Simply sign in, select an appointment time, and receive instant confirmation of your booking. An automatic reminder links to the forms you need to fill in.
Fill in your forms online
From our portal, you can complete the required forms on your chosen device at any time of the day or night. The completed forms are saved to your patient file at our practice and are readily accessible in your patient portal should you need to revise your details at any time.
Contactless check-in
Thanks to contactless check-in, you don’t need to queue at the reception desk to announce your arrival or sit in the waiting room. Once you’re outside our dental practice, use the self-check-in option on your portal, and we’ll let you in.
Patients are requested to complete Covid-19 pre-appointment check form and the medical history form on the portal to keep themselves and others safe before attending their appointment.
View, download or print treatment plans
If you’re feeling nervous about sitting in the dental chair, it can be hard to focus on what the dentist is telling you about your oral health and the treatment they recommend.
The ability to download or print your treatment plan beforehand ensures you’re fully informed at every stage. If you have any questions, why not email the team before your dental visit?
Sign and pay for treatment plans online
Signing and paying for dental treatment is another feature of the patient portal. With a virtual wallet, there’s no need for you to pull out a credit card. Instead, with a quick tap on your phone screen, you can access your card from a stored list with just a click. It’s simple, convenient, and discreet.
View account balances and invoices
Want to check the balance of your accounts or review your invoice history? No problem. Enter the portal with your unique sign-in details and browse your payment history.
Update marketing preferences
We inform patients of new treatments and special promotions at Foxbury Dental. Be sure you don’t miss out on discounts and promotions by updating your marketing preferences.
Ultimately, a patient portal does more than give you access to your oral health records. It streamlines the overall outcome of a dental visit because its main focus is patient-centred care. If you need assistance or have questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact the team at Foxbury Dental. The patient portal is available for new and existing patients and offers a convenient and paperless way of managing your oral health care.