Electric Toothbrushes

Electric toothbrushes come in lots of varieties, and much is about personal preference. We love them because they do a lot of the work for you, the tiny vibrations really gently scrubbing away the plaque biofilm. Our staff favourite is the Sonicare brand. Available at your local drugstore, and Costco.

Manual Toothbrushes

Manual toothbrushes are super effective when used properly - stick to the extra soft bristles. It always important to be gentle on your gums and tooth structure. We love these Velvet Soft Curaprox brushes with 12460 bristles that we sell at our clinic, or are available at some stores (London Drugs) or online. Our other favourite are these eco friendly biodegradable bamboo brushes, tone of these is  complimentary with your complete hygiene appointment.

Curaprox Interdental Brushes

Better than floss! If you have larger spaces between any teeth, we will be recommending these fantastic Curaprox interdental brushes, they are so much more effective than regular floss. We will custom size them for you by colour, and provide you a sample at your cleaning appointment. Refill brushes are available online or you can request us to order for you.

Special Toothbrushes

Sulcabrushes or end-tuft brushes are sometimes just the tool needed for those difficult to reach pocket and edges that your regular toothbrush cannot clean properly. If our hygienists feel you would benefit from one, we can give you a sample. They are also available at most drug stores and online.

Floss, Floss Picks, and Floss Threaders

The classic...and more. Using dental floss to clean between your teeth is essential for tooth and gum health. There are many find of floss - find one that works for you, from extra slick teflon tape floss to expanding fussy floss. Also look for ec0-friendly options like silk or corn-based floss. Also remember you can bring in your empty floss containers to Guardian Dental for special recycling.
To make flossing easier, try floss picks! Please use your floss pick a few times until it's worn out, like your toothbrush - not just single use. We give samples of Change Toothpaste biodegradable floss picks at our clinic, and sell the larger packs to take home.
Having trouble flossing under dental bridges or orthodontic retainers? Floss threaders can make the difference. Our hygienists will give you a sample, and they are available at drug stores.

Water Flossers

Like a (gentle) pressure washer, water flossers flush out plaque and food from hard to reach places, and massage your gums. It's possible to add a small amount of mouthwash into the water reservoir as recommended by your hygienist. There are several different brands and sizes to find one that works for you.

Remin Toothpaste

Remin Toothpaste is a special toothpaste we often recommend. Though it has no fluoride, it does contain 'nano-hydroxyapatite', the same form of mineral as your tooth enamel. It works very well to help remineralize your teeth, can help with sensitivity, and also brighten your smile. No SLS or foamy ingredients, this cream toothpaste works great in whitening trays to fortify your teeth. Available to purchase at Guardian Dental and a few drug stores, or online.

Toothpaste

A helpful aid to tooth cleaning, there are so many varieties of toothpaste you are certain to find one that works for you! A general purpose toothpaste works for most people, but there are several options for sensitive teeth also. Generally most toothpastes are soft and safe to use. For occasional added stain removing, you can add a touch of regular kitchen baking soda to your toothpaste, it is safe for teeth. Remember to use just enough toothpaste - pea sized about (or just a smear/rice size for kids). Less waste and just enough fluoride - not too much!

Change Toothpaste

We love Change Toothpaste! A local made in Edmonton eco-friendly toothpaste tab. We have tried many eco-friendly packaging dental products, and this is the best! Great tasting flavours, packaging is 100% biodegradable. Instead of a tube, these are small tablets to chew and use just like toothpaste. They come with and without fluoride. Guardian Dental gives out samples with a complete hygiene appointment, and you can purchase at our clinic or online.

Colgate Prevident Toothpaste

We are always looking to customize your treatment for your dental health. Fluoride has been proven to help prevent and arrest tooth decay, and sometimes a touch more makes a big difference for high-decay risk individuals. Your hygienist might recommend you use PreviDent to help protect your teeth. Generally available  at drugstores, also sold at our clinic.

Tongue Cleaners

Clean your teeth, clean your gums, clean your tongue! The surface of your tongue is a reservoir for the bacteria in your mouth. This is totally normal, but if the bacteria grows too much it can cause bad breath and also undo all the hard work you are doing in cleaning the rest of your mouth. Tongue cleaners work great - ask your hygienist!

Opti Rinse Fluoride Mouthwash

OptiRinse is a great product for those of us needing a fluoride boost for tooth protection. Good flavours for kids, this low-fluoride concentration can help prevent tooth decay in child and adults, especially for high risk individuals like those with dry mouth or difficulty cleaning. If you use a fluoride free toothpaste, you may want to consider an occasional fluoride rinse for tooth strengthening.

Colgate Peroxyl Mouthwash

We recommend Peroxyl all the time, and sell it in our clinic. It is a very gentle hydrogen peroxide based rinse, slightly minty and bubbly. When you rinse with it, it turns into oxygen and water, reducing the bacteria load, stopping gum bleeding, and helping to heal the soft tissues in your mouth.

Closys Mouthwash

Similar to Peroxyl, but a chloride/salt based solution for soft tissue health. Reduces the bacteria in your mouth that cause bad breath, inflammation and bleeding. We love this as it does not stain teeth (unlike chlorhexidine rinses). It can be difficult to find in Canada, generally available online only.

Gengigel

Gengigel can be really helpful in healing oral soft tissues. It is a very gentle gel containing hyaluronic acid, the building blocks of the connective tissue collagen. It boosts your soft tissue healing and reduces inflammation and pain. This should be applied to any mouth sores - canker sore, bites, burns, and Dr Roche recommends it after any mouth surgery like gum grafting or tooth extractions.

Help for Dry Mouth - Xylimelts, etc

Most medications and some health conditions (and snoring) result in reduced saliva flow in your mouth. A dry mouth is at higher risk for tissue inflammation and tooth decay. Please talk to your hygienist about management. One helpful product are Xylimelts and xylitol gum and candy to help stimulate saliva flow. Xylitol is a sugar that the plaque bacteria cannot digest - it is a non-cavity sweetener! (Strangely, though proven very effective in tooth health in humans, it is super toxic for pets, be aware!)

Antifungal cream and rinse

Yeast infection is likely the most common opportunistic, persistent mouth and lip skin infection. Any skin area that is consistently wet - sweat, licking, runny nose, too much mask wearing - is likely to develop a surface yeast infection with sore red skin areas. This type of over-the-counter cream is very effective and good to have around. Also available by prescription and as a rinse for intra-oral infections.

Vitamin D

Essentially all of us living in Canada don't get enough vitamin D in our diets or from the sun. It's a great idea to supplement. Vitamin D is critical for the growth and maintenance of healthy teeth and bones. Make sure of sufficient vitamin D during pregnancy, growing kids, and adults - everyone! And it's available in tiny tablets, gels, chewables, and liquid drops at your local grocery and drug store.

Sugarbug Doug book 

Sugarbug Doug is one Dr Roche's favourite books! It's a short kids book about how tooth decay happens in your mouth (good for adults too). Fun drawings and clear explanations. Available online, and we usually have a few copies available at Guardian Dental.

A note about Fluoride...

Though fluoride can be a controversial subject due mainly to it's political history, Dr Roche is only really interested in helping you with your dental and oral health. Ultimately the products you choose to use is entirely up to you. The science and track record for using fluoride to help strengthen teeth is solid, but as is often the case too much can be harmful. Fluoride does not have to be ingested to be effective (yes, some slight exposure systemically is inevitable with oral treatment). Fluoride does occur naturally in our foods as well.
At Guardian Dental we use fluoride products with your permission and are open to discussing other product alternatives. Ultimately it is better to have strong teeth without decay than to need fillings. Even though we have excellent materials for repairing teeth, natural tooth structure (sometimes strengthened with fluoride as well as other minerals) is the best material for a tooth. ​