 Hello everybody, Andrew and Maeska here with Vental Al. So let's talk about the more common, I guess, teeth issues, mouth issues that I come across, and the more common questions that patients have. So I would say number one would definitely be, I think I have a lot of cavities. Why does this keep happening? How can I prevent cavities from happening? Why does this keep on happening? Either in children or in adults. You're probably not using the right toothpaste. So yes, it does depend, of course, on the foods you are eating. But what I find in most cases is people are eating fairly well, we're not perfect. But that is why you need the right toothpaste. I can't really tell you the right toothpaste to use without seeing you, but you do need a toothpaste that at least contains sodium fluoride and is a neutral pH toothpaste. So when I say that to people, a lot of people go, what the heck's that? Neutral pH, I know. But it makes such a big difference because for some people, they have what's called acidic saliva. And having a toothpaste that is a neutral pH that will actually cut down the acidity in your saliva. And guess what? If your saliva isn't acidic, you cannot get cavities. It's that simple. Because even if you're eating something with sugar in it, let's just say, that acidity doesn't have a chance to become too acidic to cause a cavity. So it is best to use a toothpaste that's constantly limiting that acidic saliva. And of course, with sodium fluoride, that will help to protect your teeth. It does leave like a thin layer of protection so that any sugar, any acidity can't penetrate through. I know, sounds intense. If you need help, I can help you guys, okay? I talk to this to my patients all the time. It's so important. Plus guess what? It's time to use a mouthwash that also contains sodium fluoride. That's so important. I can leave some links for you down below every morning and every night because what that does is that does just constantly help to protect those teeth. If you're not protecting the teeth with toothpaste and a mouthwash, those acids, like anything, can constantly penetrate, can constantly eat away at the teeth. If you are using the right toothpaste and the right mouthwash, you can't get cavities. You really can't, like really, it's true. And see your dental hygienist at least every six months because there is something that we can apply. You might have heard it as a varnish. That is kind of like a higher potency toothpaste and mouthwash mixed in to protect those teeth for a full six months. It's amazing stuff. You can't purchase that in store. You can only have it applied by your dental hygienist. So you need that, okay? Another one that I get a lot of is my gums are in bad shape and they won't stop bleeding. What do I do? I know, right? This is probably happening to you. Now, a lot of people think, well, when I started to floss, my gums were bleeding. So I stopped flossing. But that's the thing. If the gums aren't used to it, they are going to bleed. Keep up with that though, you guys. It will get better and better every time. If the gums are sore and bleed, then yes, you do still have to keep up with it because they will get better. If they're sore though, use a mouthwash first to just sort of help to really cleanse the area and then use the floss after that, okay? That does help. Once a day, at least, you guys. Sometimes I do suggest using a salt water mouthwash like if things look pretty bad. So if you're kind of like, yeah, that's me, then use a salt water mouthwash. It's a teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water for a good 30 seconds like this, okay? Not like this, but like this, okay? Like really get it in there for 30 seconds and then spit it out. It doesn't taste the most amazing, but it's not bad. That will help you. Do that twice a day, even three times a day and in a week or two, so you have to be patient. You will notice a big, big difference, like huge difference and do that after you brush, okay? What other common questions do I have? Oh, I have one. When people say, I don't like having my teeth cleaned because it hurts. The last time I went, it hurt really bad. It's not happening again. Okay, so it did likely hurt because the gums were in bad shape, but the thing is it doesn't have to hurt again. If you talk to your dental hygienists and tell them that, okay, you are concerned with it hurting, there are things that we can do where it won't hurt, okay? It can be intense, such as you could have like a local anesthetic throughout your entire mouth. So you don't feel anything, but see, I don't like to do that. What I prefer to do is take my time. So I will clean areas of your mouth per appointment, so it could take four, you know, like this area for one appointment, this area for another one, this one, and then this one. But I will do that and take my time so it doesn't hurt. I can't claim it doesn't hurt, but it doesn't hurt, okay? I'm not supposed to say it, but it's true, okay? There are things we can do. If we hurry it up and do the whole mouth, it's gonna hurt. So talk to your dental hygienists. There are things that we can do where your teeth won't hurt, seriously. We might even say, okay, use this toothpaste for a good two months, or sorry, two weeks before you have your teeth cleaned, and that will help to heal things up before we clean them, and that makes things easier. I even have what's called a desensitizer that I can put on certain areas. It doesn't hurt, it doesn't, you know, taste like anything, but that just helps to kind of protect the teeth and not numb the area, but it just sort of helps to cover up any like open enamel spots that need to be covered up for your cleaning so it doesn't hurt. So there are definitely things we can do. I hear a lot of people telling me that they haven't had their teeth cleaned in a long time because their dental hygienists was not very nice to them last time. That's not me. I am not here to tell you that you are doing horrible. I am not here to tell you that, oh my God, your mouth feels really bad, what are you doing? That's not me at all. I am going to talk to you like a person. You came to me because you want things to look nicer, healthier, and so much better. I'm not here to lecture you. So yes, you do have to find a hygienist who does not want to lecture you because we are out there where we will lecture you. That's never been me. So try maybe a different hygienist. Even I hate to say it, try another office and let them know I don't want to be lectured, okay? I would like to take good care of my teeth, but if you yell at me, I'm out the door. So that is something else too. I get that a lot, you know, like people come to me and say I didn't really like my last office because they yelled at me and I felt stupid. So I didn't want to go back. I will never make anybody feel stupid. I would say those are the more common questions, you guys. If I missed something, please just comment below. Thank you guys so much for listening. I do hope that this helps and I will talk to you guys very, very soon.