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Dr.Hughes and the team at Lakewood Park Orthodontics know that keeping your teeth clean during orthodontic treatment can be a difficult task –especially when it comes to flossing. Weaving floss behind wires and brackets can be a challenge. This leads many of our patients to ask about the benefits of a water pick and whether or not it could replace flossing.

Some of our patients use a water pick to flush out food and bacteria stuck between their teeth and brackets. The water pick can reach places where floss simply cannot. Water picks are gentle on braces and on gums. They are less likely to cause bleeding for people with sensitive gums. People suffering from gum disease will find water picks effective in their ability to flush out bacteria from inside deep pockets.
Water picks have many benefits, but they are not an effective substitute for flossing. Water picks are not able to remove plaque from the teeth the way floss can. Water picks can rinse some of the sticky bacteria away but floss actually scrapes the bacteria off of the teeth. Although water picks are not a good enough tool on their own they can be used in combination with flossing and brushing to keep your pearly whites clean and healthy.

If you have any questions or concerns about water picks or your oral hygiene routine we encourage you to ask below or call our office.

Want straight teeth, but not willing to do the "braces thing"? Consider Invisalign! More than 25% of our practice is composed of adults, so it's never too late to have the smile you dreamed of! Call us today for your complimentary Invisalign consultation and check out our website for more information

To promote Dental Health Month this February we made up oral hygiene bags for the 3rd graders at Brown Elementary School. The bags included toothpaste, toothbrushes, flossers, mouthwash and some other festive goodies.

February is Children's Dental Health Month! Dental decay is the most common chronic childhood disease in the U.S. but, it's preventable! Teach children to brush their teeth for two minutes, twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. In addition to brushing an easy way to get Fluoride to help protect your teeth is just to drink tap water! Studies show that fluoride in community water systems prevents at least 25 percent of tooth decay in children and adults.