Some folks say there is too much softness in the world today. That kids get it too easy. However, when it comes to going to the dentist, I bet, there is less complaint about the soft treatment. Soft toothbrushes and gentle dentists are the catch-cries for reducing dental anxiety in the age of taking things easy. Yes, most of us appreciate a sensitive brush and a sensitive new age dentist when it comes to the care of our teeth. Nothing strikes fear into the average human being as opening wide to electric drills and very sharp instruments. It seems almost counterintuitive to expose our most sensitive orifice to the prying hands of the big bad dentist.

Most of us, before we softly fall asleep, would sentimentalise that our mouths are made for sweet things like chocolate and kisses.

Sensitive Dental Care Banishes Painful Memories To The Distant Past

Unfortunately, the sugary sweet stuff can cause a host of dental problems, which eventually lead to rotten teeth and extractions. Kisses may result in other kinds of problems but we won’t go into that here. Yes, dentists are a necessary hardline in the fight against caries and tooth decay. The history of dentistry is littered with painful processes and big needles. Memories of the bad old days of dentistry can still provide some folk with the stuff of nightmares. Thank goodness that an era of soft toothbrushes and gentle dentists has now graced our temporal shores.

Reducing Dental Anxiety Matters For Our Oral Health

Lowering the volume on dental anxiety is important for a number of reasons. Firstly, the fear of the dentist, often, prevented many people from visiting their dental clinic. This, of course, made things much worse in terms of the state of their oral hygiene. Bad teeth full of holes and gum disease were far too common in the western world. Why the western world? Well, unfettered capitalism allowed food manufacturers to liberally dose their foodstuffs with plenty of sugar, salt, and sweeteners. For much of the modern era governments did nothing about the health aspects of manufactured foods and drinks. The Indigenous people living in the jungle, who did not come into contact with the western world, ate healthily and had much better dental health naturally. Progress has been a case of two steps forward and one step back over the years. Artificial and highly processed foods are no good for our health. We now know all those processed carbohydrates are equally bad for your teeth. The need for dentists in the modern world goes in tandem with the kind of things we eat and drink.

Gentle Dentists, Soft Touches, & A Brush With Spa Thinking

Therefore, making dentists more sensitive and compassionate toward their patients was an important step in increasing the number of people benefitting from their services. Reducing the likelihood of experiencing sharp pain during dental treatments was vital in facilitating greater volumes of people visiting their dentist. Thus, pain management was highlighted in dental care policies promoted by the various guilds and associations representing the industry. Today, when you attend some dental clinics you could be forgiven for thinking you have mistakenly entered a health spa or retreat. Tinkling bells and mood lighting may tantalise your senses with promises of deep relaxation rather than screaming electric drills. Hypnotic pulsing and hand holding may lull your fight or flight mechanism into a pleasant sense of security. Our staff such as our friendly and welcoming dentist Dr Elly Huang receive patients with smiles and a gentle demeanour, and even aromatherapy is on the menu of most dental clinics in the 21C. It is a change for the better.

Soft Toothbrushes & Gentle Dentists

Soft toothbrushes have, generally, been the preferred recommendation of dentists for many years now. The experts know that going hard at your teeth and gums with a stiff brush can only cause oral health problems. Toothbrush abrasion leads to sensitive teeth and receding gums. Not only that but damage to the enamel.

“The aetiology of dental abrasion can be due to a single stimulus or, as in most cases, multi-factorial. The most common cause of dental abrasion is the combination of mechanical and chemical wear.”
– https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dental_abrasion

A soft toothbrush in the hands of a gentle brusher produces much better and safer outcomes for your oral hygiene. It is very easy to get overly vigorous, especially if you are feeling stressed or worried about stuff. My advice is to check in with yourself prior to beginning the toothbrushing ritual. Remind yourself about what you are actually doing and what you wish to achieve via this process. It is all too easy to get largely unconscious and running on automatic when cleaning one’s teeth. It is something considered so simple and rote behaviour. This attitude will not serve you well in the final outcome. The brushing of teeth is regarded by dental professionals as one of the most important therapeutic acts that we can do to maintain healthy teeth and gums going forward. (As I write this, I have just had a break to get up and go and brush my teeth. I did this lovingly and with great care, utilising my soft bristled toothbrush. Inspiration can come from anywhere!)

How Soft Is Really Soft & How Effective Are They?

“Recently, toothbrushes with ultra-soft bristles have been commercialised to control plaque in individuals with gingival recession in association with dentin hypersensitivity. The question is to what extent toothbrushes with ultra-soft bristles can remove dental plaque and what effect they might have on gingival indices. Considering the availability of different brands of toothbrushes on the market and lack of information on their quality, it is difficult to select an appropriate toothbrush. Almost 95% of toothbrushes on the market have lower-than-standard bristles, and many have deviated from the standards in terms of the diameter and other dimensions of bristles. In other words, toothbrushes that have been marketed as soft are in fact medium, and those that have been marketed as medium are in fact hard.”
– https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7921760/

Not all toothbrushes are created equal, it seems, and many are labelled incorrectly according to the experts who have studied them. In general, most labelled medium bristled are in fact hard and you are much better off sticking to soft. It may be a macho thing for some men but when it comes to toothbrushes ‘hardness’ is not a desirable quality. Probably most women are ahead of the game in evaluating toothbrush bristles and have been for some time.

Dental Aims For Gentle Domination

Soft toothbrushes, gentle dentists: Reducing dental anxiety is a good thing for humanity. Yes, the days of dental fears are receding like the gums of a too vigorous brusher with stiff bristles. Not to be too flippant about such things, I say it only to reinforce the facts of the matter. Embracing softness and gentleness in this new age of greater dental awareness is all part of the major strides made by improved dental standards globally. Dentists want their patients to enjoy better oral hygiene and for many more people to share in the distinct benefits of that reality. A bite that we can all be proud of and a smile to melt the hearts of millions.

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