At Jeff Gray DDS, cosmetic dentist Dr. Jeff Gray is often asked how to choose the most basic tool of oral hygiene, the toothbrush. Picking a toothbrush in San Diego can be as difficult as choosing a paint color, and there seems to be just as many choices.

If you have visited the dental section of your local San Diego grocery store or Walmart lately, you know what I am talking about. There are brushes with bristles of varying lengths, brushes that massage your gums, and brushes that change color when they are used up. (If I had to rate them purely on their fun factor, I would choose the Spiderman brush.)

Some toothbrush manufacturers claim their brushes freshen your breath or remove stains from your teeth. How do you choose?

One key factor is the firmness of the bristles. Hard bristles may be more effective for cleaning burnt steak off a grill or hard water deposits off a shower floor. However, this does not hold true for your teeth. Medium and firm brushes can damage your gums. Soft and extra-soft bristles are plenty stiff enough to clean plague, food particles, and surface stains from your teeth. Soft bristles also offer more flexibility for hard-to-reach nooks and crannies.

After having cosmetic dental care or oral surgery in San Diego, especially anything involving soft tissue grafts, make sure you use an extra-soft brush and be careful!

When buying a toothbrush for a child in San Diego, make sure the brush feels comfortable in their hand. If the size and angle feels awkward, the child will be less likely to use it long enough to clean all areas of the mouth. Children do not necessarily need a child-sized tooth brush. Some San Diego kids can manage an adult size brush better than a short, narrow child size brush. If you are unsure, ask your dentist Dr. Jeff Gray DDS.

What about the electric types and water-shooters? Some San Diego folks like the feeling of vibrating bristles or a mini-squirt gun blasting away at the plaque. San Diego people with arthritis or other movement-inhibiting conditions can benefit from powered brushes which take some strain off hands and arm muscles.

Is your toothbrush doing the job? Schedule an exam with your San Diego dentist at Jeff Gray DDS.

At Jeff Gray DDS, our friendly and professional dental hygienists instruct our San Diego patients on proper brushing and flossing. If you haven’t experienced a dental deep cleaning at Jeff Gray DDS, you don’t know how clean your teeth and gums can feel. We also provide fresh breath treatment for patients who suffer from halitosis.

Schedule a thorough dental cleaning today by calling Jeff Gray DDS at (619) 337-7700. An outstanding feature of Jeff Gray DDS is total team work to serve you in a state-of-the-art facility. We offer sedation dentistry and a full spectrum of restorative dental procedures.

Visiting Jeff Gray DDS near San Diego for regular dental check-ups and cleanings every six months can seem inconvenient and unnecessary at times, but you may benefit in ways you never imagined.

A recent study showed that people who had their teeth professionally cleaned at least once every two years were 24 percent less likely to have a heart attack, compared to those who skipped appointments.

While the study could simply confirm that those San Diego people who dutifully schedule regular cosmetic dental care also practice healthy habits like exercising and eating right, there is additional evidence of a relationship between oral health and heart health.

Common problems like inflammation with gum disease are linked to hardening of the arteries and other tissue inflammations which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

Former American Heart Association President Ralph Sacco, MD, (who did not participate in the study mentioned previously) said:

‘Something as simple as having good dental hygiene – brushing, flossing, and having regular cleanings – may be good for your heart and brain health.’

While the study found that patients who schedule cleanings yearly reap the most health benefits, Dr. Jeff Gray of Jeff Gray DDS recommends coming in for check-ups and cleanings every six months to catch potential problems early (we offer oral cancer detection), saving patients time and money. Regular dental cleanings also brighten and whiten teeth, making your smile look its best.

To schedule a deep cleaning with our friendly and professional laser dentistry trained hygienist at Jeff Gray DDS, call (619) 337-7700 today!

Dr. Jeff Gray
Jeff Gray DDS
8555 Fletcher Pkwy, Ste 102
La Mesa, California 91942
(619) 337-7700
http://www.SmileSanDiego.com

Welcome to the cosmetic dental care blog of Dr. Jeff Gray, DDS.

We provide comprehensive full service cosmetic and sedation dentistry for clients in San Diego and other nearby communities.

Our friendly and professional team of skilled hygienists, dental assistants, and administrative staff help Dr. Gray exceed our clients’ expectations. At Jeff Gray DDS, we understand the value of a healthy and beautiful smile.

We are dedicated to providing each client with personalized care in our state-of-the-art dental practice.

Jeff Gray DDS is located at 8555 Fletcher Pkwy, Ste 102 in La Mesa. For more information about our staff, see http://www.SmileSanDiego.com/ourdoctor.html.

If you have an attractive San Diego smile, we can help you keep it that way with professional deep cleanings and thorough examinations. We set the standard for preventative dentistry in the greater San Diego area. To ensure your mouth is healthy, we also conduct an oral cancer exam every time you visit.

If it has been a while since you have received a professional dental cleaning in San Diego, call (619) 337-7700 today to schedule an appointment with one of our friendly hygienists. Your teeth will feel amazingly clean, silky and smooth after the chalky plaque and calculus is removed.

Whether you need an examination or a complex dental surgery, at Jeff Gray DDS we’ll get you smiling again!

Teeth whitening is one of the easiest ways to improve your smile in La Mesa. It is quick, affordable, and non-invasive. Though some La Mesa cosmetic dentistry patients experience short-term sensitivity, most experience no tooth whitening pain at all.

If you have looked into La Mesa teeth whitening, you probably already know the basics. The one thing they have in common is that they use a solution containing peroxide to remove the stains that have settled in the natural microscopic cracks in your tooth enamel.

There are many DIY teeth bleaching products available in La Mesa and it seems like new ones appear every time you visit the toothpaste aisle at your local grocery or drug store.

These La Mesa tooth whitening strips and tooth whitening pens can sometimes whiten your teeth a few shades, but the peroxide concentration is much lower than the whitening solutions used in La Mesa cosmetic dental care offices. It may not be strong enough for your tooth stains.

Tooth whitening offered at La Mesa mall kiosks is risky, also. Most of these teeth whitening businesses have no professional oversight and the employees have little dental training. (Except instruction on how to take advantage of customer naivety.)

Dr. Jeff Gray recommends that you use extreme caution when considering a take-home La Mesa tooth whitener. If you have tooth decay, gum recession, dental crowns, or veneers, you should deal with these issues before you whiten your teeth.

The portion of your teeth below the gumline, if exposed, may respond differently to tooth whitener. Likewise, the peroxide solution does not noticeably whiten crowns and veneers. If you use a DIY tooth whitener on teeth with extensive porcelain veneers or restorations, you should probably hope it doesn’t whiten too much–you may end up with a two- or three-tone smile!

Even though La Mesa teeth whitening seems fairly straightforward, your teeth deserve a professional opinion. After all, we are talking about teeth here. You can’t fix an uneven teeth whitening result like you can a bad hair-coloring job.

Schedule a La mesa tooth bleaching evaluation before you waste your money on more Crest White Strips. We can be reached at (619) 337-7700.