How to Pick Your Toothpaste

Your toothbrush is a powerful tool used to protect the teeth and gums from inflammation and decay but a toothbrush would be nothing without toothpaste. Brushing with toothpaste using the proper technique works to remove plaque, the sticky harmful bacteria that grow on the teeth and causes cavities, and gum disease. Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS, doesn’t want his patients using whitening toothpaste when they should be using desensitizing toothpaste, so use this guide when shopping for your next tube of toothpaste.

• Anti-cavity: This type of toothpaste contains fluoride. Fluoride plays an active role in preventing decay, and it actively strengthens tooth enamel.


• Anti-gingivitis: If you spit blood in the sink, this is an early sign of gingivitis, a mild form of gum disease. Anti-gingivitis toothpaste help reduces oral bacteria and can be very effective at stopping gingivitis in its tracks.


•  Desensitizing: If you’ve ever bit into an ice cream cone and felt a sharp pain in your tooth’s nerve, this type of toothpaste will provide relief by blocking the tooth’s pain signal to the nerve.


• Tartar-control: This toothpaste does exactly what it says, however, the best way to remove tartar is by scheduling a professional dental cleaning with one of our doctors.


• Whitening: This toothpaste contains chemicals that are able to help maintain the natural color of your teeth.

If you have questions or concerns regarding oral care or dental hygiene, please give us a call. To learn more about the services provided at the practice, visit www.fullertondental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS, in Fullerton CA, call 714-879-7943.

Electric Toothbrushes Vs Manual Toothbrushes

Electric toothbrushes and manual toothbrushes have gone head-to-head for a long time. No pun intended! Do you know the facts? Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS of Fullerton, CA wants to make sure his patients are taking the best care of their oral health no matter what they choose to use.

In recent studies, it has been shown that manual toothbrushes do just a good of a job brushing teeth as electric ones. Some sonic electric toothbrush users show less signs of gingivitis, however, this could be because those who spend more on dental care take more time brushing and flossing. While that is what studies show, this may change for those who have trouble using their hands like those with arthritis. Since an electric toothbrush does most of the work, it may make it easier for arthritic hands to brush, therefore letting them get a better brushing.

In addition to this news, electric toothbrushes with timers may help people brush for the correct amount of time and electric toothbrushes that play music may get kids more interested.

In the end, it really depends on how well you are brushing rather than the toothbrush used. To schedule a cleaning with Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS in Fullerton, CA, call us at (714) 879-7943 or visit our website, www.fullertondental.com. 

Make Sure You Are Brushing For Two Minutes!

To get a good cleaning, you should be spending about two minutes brushing your teeth. However, many patients only spend a few seconds. Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS of Fullerton, CA wants to ensure his patients are taking excellent home oral care. Take some tips for making sure you are spending enough time brushing!

When brushing, you need to make sure you hit all the surfaces of the teeth including the insides, the fronts, the chewing surfaces, and the backs of the back molars. In addition, you should be brushing the roof of your mouth, your tongue, and the insides of your cheeks. These are places where bacteria can collect and make dental plaque worse.

Many music players have counters on them, so turn on your favorite tune and rock out while you brush! Just look for the two-minute mark. Another great way is to set up an hour glass, or in this case, a minute glass. You just need to turn it over a second time for the full two minutes.

Splitting the mouth into four sections is also a good way to break up the minutes and get an even brushing. Spend thirty seconds on the upper-right section, thirty seconds on the upper-left section, and so on for the two lower sections.

Good dental care will lead to good dental checkups. To schedule your appointment with Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS of Fullerton, CA, call our office at (714) 879-7943 or visit our website, www.fullertondental.com. 

Brushing and Flossing With Braces

Brushing and flossing are essential for clean, healthy teeth. With braces, proper brushing and flossing are a little more complicated, but still vitally important. Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS of Fullerton, CA wants all of his patients to have their own action plan for great oral care.

When wearing braces, it means that you have brackets that can collect plaque and wires that can prevent you from reaching areas of your teeth. This means you will need to implement some new dental supplies. Make sure you own an interdental cleaner. These are those little tree-like brushes that will allow you to go under the wires to clean the sides of your brackets. Then make sure you are also brushing along the tops and the bottoms of your brackets with a regular toothbrush. You want to be able to see all four sides of a bracket clearly when you are finished; no plaque in sight.

When it comes time for your daily flossing, purchasing Superfloss or floss threaders will help. They help you get the floss underneath your wire easier and faster. Flossing is very important to avoid cavities between teeth. It will also help avoid staining.

Brushing, flossing, and visits to your dentist for a cleaning and examination are all important parts of proper oral health. To schedule your appointment with Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS, call our Fullerton, CA office at (714) 879-7943 or visit our website, www.fullertondental.com. 

Do You Clean Your Tongue?

When brushing your teeth, do you clean your tongue? It is a simple, but often skipped step that your oral health can really benefit from. Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS of Fullerton, CA is committed to healthy mouths for all of his patients. Keep reading to learn how to clean your tongue and why it is important.

The tongue is a harbor for bacteria. With tiny, hair-like taste buds, bacteria can become trapped, leading to more plaque, more cavities, and bad breath! Just like how plaque can form a thin film over the teeth, a thin, bacterial film can also form over the tongue. You should clean your tongue each time you clean your teeth.

To clean your tongue, you only need your toothbrush. There are, however, tongue scrapers on the market where most dental supplies are sold. They are usually plastic or metal and do about the same job as a toothbrush.

Take your toothbrush or tongue scraper and place it on the back of your tongue, press down firmly and drag the toothbrush down towards the tip of your tongue. Do not press down hard; this may injure taste buds. Just press firmly. You can usually see the color of the film when you rinse your toothbrush off. Scrape your tongue a few times until it looks clean, rinsing your toothbrush or tongue scraper after each stroke.

By cleaning your tongue, you are on your way to a cleaner, healthier mouth (and fresher breath)! To schedule an appointment with Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS of Fullerton, CA, call our office at (714) 879-7943 or visit our website, www.fullertondental.com. 

How to Make Dental Care Fun for Kids

As adults, we know that taking care of our teeth is important for our oral and even overall health. Children, however, do not always understand the importance of daily oral care and may skip it as a result. In our Fullerton, CA dental practice, Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS wants to make sure all of his patients are making their dental health a priority two to three times per day. Check out some tips for making dental care fun for kids!

Kids love story time. Try to create a story around brushing teeth, like the space monsters are cavities and the toothbrush is a laser that will vanquish them! This may make the task more interesting! Add new parts to the story every night so they will always have a reason to brush!

Purchase fun dental supplies like colorful toothbrushes with their favorite characters on them, flavored floss, and tasty toothpaste! Kid-friendly products making brushing and flossing seem less like a chore.

Create a reward chart. Place a sticker on each day that they brush two to three times and floss once. When they hit a certain amount of days or weeks of doing it every day, offer a reward. These can be simple like cooking their favorite meal, extra time at the park, or renting a new movie.

When oral care is made fun, kids are more likely to create a habit of doing it. To schedule a cleaning and examination with Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS here in our Fullerton, CA office, call us at (714) 879-7943 or visit our website, www.fullertondental.com. 

Causes and Treatment for Sensitive Teeth

Do you experience pain while biting into an apple, eating an ice cream cone, or drinking beverages that are hot and cold? If you’ve answered yes to any of these issues then you likely have sensitive teeth. Sensitive teeth occur when your gums pull back and expose the surface beneath, called the dentin. This soft layer makes up the inner part and roots, which have thousands of tiny tubes that lead to the tooth’s nerve center (the pulp) and this is what causes you pain. Luckily, sensitive teeth are treatable and Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS will provide treatment depending on the cause of the sensitivity.

Over time, brushing too hard or using a hard-bristled toothbrush can wear down enamel and expose the dentin. Tooth decay near the gum line, teeth grinding, and tooth whitening products can also cause discomfort of sensitive teeth. The good news is that you can control sensitive teeth by brushing and flossing regularly, using a soft-bristled toothbrush, and incorporating an American Dental Association approved toothpaste into your dental routine on top of scheduling professional cleanings every six months. 

If you are experiencing tooth sensitivity, give us a call. To learn more about oral health, as well as the services provided at the practice, visit www.fullertondental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS, in Fullerton CA, call 714-879-7943.

Changes for a Healthier Smile in Fullerton, CA

Regular exams and cleanings with Dr. Eric Meyer are only a small part of a good oral hygiene routine. Everyday oral care habits also play a vital role in a healthy smile, and if you want to improve your oral health, here are some simple changes you can make.

1.      Brush better. Good technique and proper duration are essential for effective brushing. To maximize your brushing, hold your toothbrush at a 45 degree angle and make sweeping circular motions away from the gums. You should brush for at least two minutes or for the length of a song.
2.      Floss. Dr. Meyer can tell you that flossing can actually do a better job of removing harmful plaque than brushing, and it only needs to be done once a day. So why aren’t you doing it already? It’s the key to healthier teeth and fresher breath.

3.      Chew sugarless gum. Sugarless gum is a great way to keep your smile fresh after a meal. Not only will it improve your breath, but chewing gum increases saliva production to help wash away the acids released by the bacteria in plaque. If the gum has xylitol, it even helps reduce decay-causing bacteria.

4.      Replace your toothbrush. How long have you been brushing with your toothbrush? As your toothbrush ages, the bristles fray and lose their cleaning ability. Extremely frayed bristles can even hurt your gums. Bacteria can also build up in the bristles of toothbrushes, so make sure you are replacing yours ever three to four months.

5.      Switch to tap water. Tap water is treated with fluoride, which is a safe and effective technique for lowering tooth decay across the nation. Plus, it’s basically free.

For more ways to keep your smile healthy, turn to Dr. Meyer in Fullerton, CA. To schedule an appointment, call 714.879.7943. For more information, please visit www.fullertondental.com.