Brushing Your Way to Healthy Gums. . - Book Corners - Gumology - book review

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients,  June, 2003  by Jule Klotter

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Gumology (video)

by Andrea Glaesner, RDH

Gumology; Inc., P.O. Box 381, Glencoe, Illinois 60022 USA; 866-266-GUMS or 847-835-5313; www.gumology.com VHS, 42 min., $29.95

Everyone is told to brush their teeth regularly, but until I watched the video Gumology, I never realized the importance of learning how to brush. Improper brushing can wear away tooth enamel and cause receding gums. Proper brushing and oral care help prevent gum disease by removing food and plaque, a sticky film containing bacteria. Gum disease has been linked to heart disease, lung disease, and even premature birth. Gumology is a quick-paced, engaging, 42-minute video, produced by dental hygienist Andrea Glaesner. It teaches an easy, five-step oral hygiene program that takes just a few minutes, twice a day.

Contrary to common practice, Andrea Glaesner tells viewers, "Never brush up and down or sideways." Instead, she teaches her clients and viewers to use scooping strokes that move from the gum to the tooth. To brush the upper teeth, start way above the gum line and move down. For the lower teeth, start way below the gum line and move up. Brushing sideways damages the gum line and contributes to recession. Receding teeth are not the consequence of aging, Ms. Glaesner states, but the result of improper brushing. In addition to instructing viewers about how to remove food and massage gums with a toothbrush, Gumology also gives other tips for maintaining and improving oral hygiene, such as how to promote a habit of flossing and the benefits of tongue scraping to remove bacteria. Ms. Glaesner and the dentists she has worked with have seen bleeding, puffy, swollen gums transform into healthy gums when patients follow the Gumology techniques. Gumology is an informative visual aid for anyone who seeks to improve their own oral care or who is responsible for teaching others this basic health care practice.

COPYRIGHT 2003 The Townsend Letter Group
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group