Open wide…

It was that time again – off to the dentist. Let me just say, growing up I never hated going to the dentist. I loved my dentist and hygienist. They were both so nice, super gentle and patient. I never had any issues. Then I graduated college & moved to Maryland.

Dude – awful experience on top of awful experience! One made me puke, another one cut me, another one screwed up a shot & I couldn’t feel half my tongue for 9 months. You get the point. I now have extreme fear and major anxiety when I have to go to the dentist. So basically I just stopped. And I’m one that really should go because my family has such a bad history when it comes to their teeth.

I think I finally found one that works. Gentle, nice & I haven’t run screaming from their office in tears. The first time I went was 6 months ago. I warned the team and they were super patient. Obviously the appointment took forever cause I hadn’t been to the dentist in over 5 years. But I left feeling really confident that I could go back, and they gave me some great advice.

I have super sensitive teeth. No exaggerating! The hygienist told me to switch from a manual toothbrush to an electronic one. She said it helped with sensitivity because you don’t press as hard. I already used Sensodyne toothpaste, but she encouraged me to try the Pronamel formula. She also told me to switch the type of Listerine I was using. And finally, she said I needed to floss every 24 hours. She said that these steps would also cut down on the length of my next visit because there would be less for them to clean. I was down to give it a try.

I went for this visit preparing myself for a long visit and had a Xanax in my pocket just in case. Holy crap – didn’t need it and I was out in 30 minutes!!!!! I’ve never had an appointment go that quickly!

The dentist took one look in my mouth and was like, you didn’t leave a lot for me to do. The hygienist’s tips totally worked. Not only are my teeth less sensitive, I have way less plaque and cleaner teeth. I already schedule my next six month appointment. 😎

The dentist wanted to know what I was doing. So I shared with him her tips & my exact products. He told me to keep it up! I wanted to share the exact products that I use, so if you hate the dentist like I do, you may be able to make it a better experience.

First up, the toothbrush. I spent hours researching the best toothbrush for sensitive teeth. I wanted one that wasn’t too expensive and finally decided on the Oral B Gum & Sensitive Car Rechargeable Toothbrush. I liked that it had a sensor to show if I was pushing too hard. It has a couple of different speeds and the head wasn’t super huge. It’s perfect. I ended up getting my husband & daughter one because it did such a great job. The three of us won’t ever go back to a manual brush.

I switched from the Sensodyne Whitening Toothpaste to the Sensodyne Pronamel Gentle Whitening. I’ve notice a lot less sensitivity since switching!

I also switched from Cool Mint Listerine to Total Care Zero Alcohol Listerine on her recommendation. I like that it’s not as intense as regular Listerine and also helps my teeth stay cleaner. I use it twice a day & at night, I rinse with it after I floss.

As for floss, I like Oral B’s Satin Tape floss. It’s soft but a little wider & flatter than normal floss. I think it’s more comfortable to use. I still don’t use it once every 24 hours, but I probably floss at least 4 times a week. Better than nothing.

Do you have dentist fears? How do you overcome them? What’s your favorite dental products?

Thanks for responding!!! ❤️TC