Teresa Schellenberg

I strongly recommend an electric toothbrush for several reasons; one of the main reasons is that while using a manual toothbrush a person does an average of 300-400 strokes per minute, while an electric toothbrush with the moving head on an average does 7000, sonic toothbrushes (which use vibrations) have an average of 31000-40000 brushstrokes per minute! Which in return removes plaque more efficiently and prevents a smoother enamel surface which helps to prevent plaque build up. Another reason why I recommend electric toothbrushes is because a lot of patients brush their teeth too hard , which causes enamel erosion and tooth sensitivity as well as gum recession. Most electric toothbrushes come equipped with a sensor that stops the toothbrush if pressed too hard against the teeth.

Gum bleeding can be caused by a number of things; oral hygiene, periodontal disease, medication, trauma, pregnancy are a few reasons. If the bleeding occurred in just one area it might have been caused by trauma to the gum, infrequent or improper brushing can also cause gums to bleed. It is very hard to determine the cause without actually seeing the patient and examining the mouth, I would recommend seeing your dentist to determine the cause and possible treatments.

There can be many reasons for an infection to return. I would strongly recommend seeing your dentist as it is impossible to tell what the cause of the infection is without x-rays. In cases where a simple x-ray doesn't show the cause, your dentist can refer you for a special x-ray CBCT (Dental beam computed Tomography) which will show a 3D image of the tooth, its surrounding structure and potential cause of the infection.