Your Dental Care Begins with Oral Hygiene Habits

Soothing Dental is an unusual practice in many ways, including our concierge approach that includes treating each patient as unique and spending whatever time is necessary to provide solutions to even the most complex oral health challenges.

For those without dental insurance who also have limited budgets, yet need high quality treatment for a variety of problems, we can offer our own plans, including one that for $30 a month covers 80% of your diagnostic costs (such as digital x-rays) and preventative procedures (including professional teeth cleaning).

We sincerely want to educate and work with you so that you need to visit our offices the fewest times that are necessary and spend the least amount of money that will still ensure your long-term oral health (especially the higher risk that comes with periodontal disease, including for diabetes and cardiovascular disease).

Avoiding the big bills and oral health effects that come with poor dental hygiene starts with knowing how to brush and floss correctly. Few people grow up being correctly taught the exact techniques of brushing for a full two minutes, including using a soft toothbrush to stroke the front and back of each tooth from the gum line to the top of the tooth. Ideally, this should be done after breakfast to remove all the food and beverage particles, as well using a tongue scraper to clean off the bacteria that accumulate overnight there (which also dry the mouth, which prevents saliva from washing away these germs).

This should be repeated after the last snack at night, when floss should be used to carefully clean every space between teeth, moving the string each time to avoid contaminating each area. If someone already has periodontal or gum disease, flossing should also be done after breakfast. Our dentist may also recommend that you use small bristle brushes to remove particles stuck between teeth, the use of a water pick, or a dentist-grade mouthwash. If you are uncertain how to brush and floss, you can contact us and learn about other preventative methods as well.

But no matter how good your oral hygiene skills are, you should receive a professional cleaning at least twice a year, because we have the tools and techniques to reach every area and remove not only the bacterial film called plaque, but even when it turns into hardened tartar. Unlike most practices, our dentist in San Francisco and Sunnyvale does this procedure, instead of a hygienist, and will clean below the gum line or recommend an antibiotic solution, if gum disease is advanced (and the procedure is not only painless, but you can listen to your favorite music or podcast while this is being done).

Likewise, the American Dental Association recommends that you have a twice-yearly full dental examination, to be sure everything from cavities to oral cancer is detected early. If you have not had one recently, call today to set an appointment. Prevention really is the best medicine.