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      • Early Orthodontic Treatment with Dr. Steven Harrison
      • Adult Orthodontic Treatment by Dr. Steven Harrison
      • Orthodontics for Teens
      • Retainer Instructions
      • Emergency Care
      • Life with Braces
        • Types of Braces
        • Traditional Braces
        • Clear Aligners
        • Clear Ceramic Braces
    • Dental Implants
      • Implant-Supported Dentures
      • X-Guide Imaging Machine for Dental Implants
    • Pediatric Dentistry
      • Dental Care for Your Baby
      • Thumb Sucking
      • Tooth Decay
      • Cavities
      • Tooth Extractions
      • Pediatric Dental FAQs
    • Cosmetic Dentistry
      • ICON White Spot Treatment
      • Botox
      • Teeth Whitening
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        • Invisalign at Parkcrest
        • Teen Invisalign
      • Bridges
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      • Cosmetic Dentistry FAQs
  • New Patients
    • Tour Our Office
    • Financial Information
    • Parkcrest Dental Group Testimonials
    • Patient Forms
  • Sedation Dentistry
  • Preventive Care
    • Parkcrest Dental Group Brushing & Flossing Tips
    • Orthodontic Dentistry: Brushing & Flossing with Braces
    • Parkcrest Dental Group Radiology
    • General Dentistry & Oral Cancer Screening
    • Sealants at the Parkcrest Dental Group
    • General Dentistry & Fluoride
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Meet Dr. Scott
    • Meet Dr. Ropka
    • Meet Dr. Harrison
    • Meet Dr. Hall
    • Meet Dr. Fannin
    • Meet Dr. Dills
    • Meet Dr. Sponenberg
    • Meet Dr. Snider
    • Meet Dr. Allie
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    • What Sets Us Apart
    • 50th Anniversary
  • Contact Us
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Why You Can’t Replace Brushing Your Teeth with Just Mouthwash

  • February 12, 2018
  • 11:32 pm
  • Dental Care, Dental Education, Dental Products
  • Brushing Teeth, Dental Care, Dental Health, Mouthwash
  • Parkcrest Dental Group

Brushing your teeth is (hopefully) a habit that you have had since you were a child. There are few things that we do as subconsciously as brushing our teeth and that isn’t a bad thing. The ritual and habit are why most of us are so consistent in our brushing habits. However, as you got older, you more than likely started getting busier. Maybe you were in a hurry one morning and weren’t able to brush. Then again the next morning. I’ll just chew gum, you might have told yourself. This is how habits die, and when the habit of brushing your teeth dies, there are two options. The first is to go to work every day having not done anything to clean your mouth, which most of you wouldn’t think of doing because, well, people would notice. The second option is to find a replacement. If I don’t want to brush my teeth every day, why not just replace it with mouthwash? This isn’t all that uncommon of a thought, but the Parkcrest Dental blog is here to tell you why replacing tooth brushing with mouthwash isn’t healthy.

Why Brush In The First Place?

In the monotony of brushing your teeth for all these years, you may have forgotten why we even do it. Contrary to popular belief, we don’t just brush our teeth to have a pretty smile and to avoid bad breath. We do it because if we don’t, we will get cavities which will lead to your teeth rotting which will lead to you losing your teeth. The aesthetics behind brushing our teeth is certainly something to consider, but this is a health issue. It doesn’t take long for plaque and food buildup to turn into a very unhealthy situation. Plaque can take less than an hour to develop. Plaque is bacteria. If you are doing the math, it wouldn’t take very long for your teeth to need a visit to Parkcrest Dental.

Related Post: Parkcrest Dental Group Brushing And Flossing Tips

Why is Mouthwash Not The Answer?

The argument against brushing would be that “hey, mouthwash is technically washing my teeth, so I’m not losing anything.” To an extent, that argument is true. Mouthwash is beneficial. It doesn’t help to keep your mouth clean. However, unless your mouthwash is mixed with battery acid, you’re going to have a tough time getting rid of plaque and gunk deep your teeth by simply burning it off with mouthwash. You need the actual exercise of brushing to do that. Parkcrest Dental is motivated to give you the best smile possible, but if you’re not brushing your teeth, you aren’t going to get that result.

When you are in a pinch and don’t have time to give your teeth the attention that they need, mouthwash isn’t a bad option. But it is a short-term fix. It shouldn’t become practice. It is the opinion of Parkcrest Dental that mouthwash is supplemental to brushing your teeth. When it takes the place of brushing your teeth, it will quickly become unhealthy.

Related Post: Parkcrest Dental Group: Do I Really Need Mouthwash?

Parkcrest Dental Has The Answers

While we don’t think that replacing tooth brushing with mouthwash is good practice, we do think that you should bring these types of questions to us at Parkcrest Dental. We want to answer your questions and help you become a healthier person. Parkcrest Dental exists to see you find your beautiful smile and often, the biggest barrier to that smile is a lack of understanding when it comes to dental health. We want to help you be smarter when it comes to your dental health. Contact Parkcrest Dental at 417-262-5515 or visit our website if you have a question or are just looking for more information.

Meet Some Dentists in Springfield, MO

Dr. Stuart Scott (top left) is our pediatric dentist. He earned his degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry before completing a two-year residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Dr. Steven Harrison (top right) is board-certified by the American Board of Orthodontics. Dr. Harrison, our orthodontist, graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry. He’s been with Parkcrest Dental Group since 1986.

Dr. Chanin Ropka (center left) attended UMKC before joining the United States Navy, where she served as the only dentist on board the USS Germantown and at Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego. Dr. Ropka began at Parkcrest Dental in 2001.

Dr. Daniel Fannin (center right) graduated from UMKC School of Dentistry in 1997. He completed an Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residency in 1998 before joining Parkcrest Dental Group that same year.

Dr. Steven C. Sponenberg (bottom left) has been a Springfieldian his entire life. He graduated from Creighton University School of Dentistry in Omaha, Nebraska, in 2004 before joining Parkcrest Dental Group immediately after.

Dr. Jason Hall (bottom right) is also a native Springfieldian. He earned his DDS from the University of Missouri at Kansas City Dental School in 1997. He came to Parkcrest Dental Group in 2010. Dr. Hall’s father, Stan, is also a dentist.

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