TOOTH PASTE
At the age of eighty-seven, when I refer to toothpaste, I mean the sticky kind..
The younger set of chewers and biters, of course, commonly think of the tubes of colorful, delicately flavored amalgams of goo and special, advertising attributes thereof. Each one is better than the other.
I'm concerned more about the type of pastes which hold dentures in place.
I am here to sing praises of such products, not to criticize, ridicule or make fun of them. .When your real teeth are no more, it becomes a serious matter. I have found, too, that one must shop around a bit to determine which preparation seems to suit your particular need best. It seems as if no two mouths are the same, and what suits you, may not suit me.
By trial and error you will find the one which best suits your need which is, to a large extent, determined by the style of diet you prefer. You will quickly found that “uppers” and “lowers” need individual attention. I never use any adhesive for my upper plate, and it took a while for me to settle down to settle on one preparation which suited my needs best..
I was not the only one doing tests and experiments, either. The well-know drug firm which makes the brand I use, was trying at the same time, to make their product better and more usable. During the months I have used it the product has had, at least, five sub-titles and has finally reached the term “Complete” appended to the name. I saw how products mature in taste, color, texture, stick-ability and, most important, to an easier and more sensible way of applying it. A competitor has, just recently, added a slot type opening on their tube which lays down a ribbon of adhesive rather than a blob.
Yes, you will want to try the powdered forms, as well. I found them difficult to use since they put out a salt-and- pepper shaker pattern - .fine for uppers but not right for narrow gauger lowers.
Having read this far, you may wondering why the old duffer is telling all this stuff., There was a time, not too long ago, when I would have had the same thought, but your time may come along quicker than you think. Put it off as long as you can by daily care of your real teeth. Use the tooth paste of your choice with regularity - daily at least.
Now, to those few still remaining: you will experience novice troubles. So many people seem to think the idea is to coat to gum surface with a generous layer of the “cement” worked down into the denture form so that it comes in direct contact with tiny bit of gum. One common tendency is to, then press down or “bite” to spread the stuff out while it “firms up”. You can tell you have too much in the groove when it oozes up around the edges and glues your gums to the side of your mouth. If this happens, best rinse your mouth with hot water and start all over again. The oriental maxim: “Less is More!”applies quite well.
I have found that about all of the dental adhesives, now being marketed, work to a degree. Some seem to work better at one time or another depending on what you eat or drink For me a small dab of the stuff ; from three to five dabs of the stuff in the groove; gently pressed to spread them a bit, and I can take on the corn-on-the-cobbers, apple snappers, and other such toothless wonders they show in the commercials. Instead of holding plates and cups in the air, how about showing the actor trying his best to chomp on a chunk of Grandma's famous taffy candy? Now, there's a challenge!
None of them are that good , but we are working on it - for you.
A.L.M. August 21, 2003 [c658wds]
