Toothbrush Care

Brushing your teeth plays an important everyday role for personal oral hygiene and effective plaque removal. You may not give much thought to cleaning your toothbrush; however appropriate toothbrush care and maintenance are important considerations for oral hygiene. At Nicholas Cosmetic Dental Center, we want you to know how and when to replace, clean, and store your toothbrush.

The American Dental Association recommends replacing your toothbrush approximately every three to four months or sooner if bristles are frayed. However, toothbrushes will wear out more rapidly depending on factors unique to each patient. It is also important to never share a toothbrush because this practice could be a concern for people with compromised immune systems or existing infectious diseases. If your toothbrush comes in contact with another, thoroughly rinse the brush with warm tap water to remove any remaining toothbrush and debris. When you are done using the toothbrush, store it in an upright position and allow the toothbrush to air-dry until used again.

If you have further questions regarding toothbrush care, give us a call. For more information about the services we provide at the office, visit www.nicholascosmeticdentalcenter.com. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Nicholas Cosmetic Dental Center in Philadelphia, PA, call 215-279-1193.

How to Get Kids to Brush Their Tongue

At Nicholas Cosmetic Dental Center, it is our goal to provide your child with that winning smile. Teaching kids how to brush and care for their teeth is an important part of overall dental health. While brushing and flossing remove bacteria from teeth and gums, as much as 50% of bacteria live on the surface of our tongue.  When you are teaching your child about what’s involved in good oral care, be sure to remind them that brushing their tongue is just as important as brushing their teeth.

Complete brushing should include brushing all surfaces of the teeth, brushing the tongue and then finishing with flossing. A fun way to teach your child how to brush their tongue is to have them stand in front of the mirror so that he or she can see themselves. Then, ask them to stick out their tongue as far as they can. While their tongue is out for a few seconds, talk about making sure they keep it clean just like they keep their teeth clean. Tell your child that if they don’t clean and brush their tongue when brushing their teeth, they might leave germs behind on their tongue and that this will cause stinky breath.

If you have questions about pediatric oral care, please give us a call. For more information about the services we provide at the office, visit www.nicholascosmeticdentalcenter.com. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Nicholas Cosmetic Dental Center in Philadelphia, PA, call 215-279-1193.

Selecting Mouthwash to Meet Your Oral Needs

Mouthwash or rinses are used for a variety of reasons: to freshen breath, to help prevent or control tooth decay, to reduce plaque, to prevent or reduce gingivitis, to reduce the speed that tartar forms on the teeth, or to produce a combination of these effects.  Mouthwash has a few beneficial properties and Dr. Shireen Malik, D.D.S., at Nicholas Cosmetic Dental Center would like to explain some of them.

• Antimicrobial agents act directly on oral bacteria to help reduce plaque, decrease the severity of gingivitis and control bad breath.


• Fluoride helps reduce tiny lesions (tooth decay) on tooth enamel and make teeth more resistant to decay.


• Astringent salts can serve as temporary deodorizers that mask bad breath.


• Odor neutralizers act by chemically inactivating odor causing compounds.

If you have questions about oral hygiene, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at the practice, visit www.nicholascosmeticdentalcenter.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Shireen Malik, D.D.S., at Nicholas Cosmetic Dental Center in Philadelphia, PA, call 215-279-1193.

Choosing Toothpaste to Meet Your Needs

When stepping foot into the oral hygiene aisle at the drugstore, our staff at Maiden Lane Dental understands that the selections of toothpaste can be overwhelming. Should you go for tartar control, fluoride, sensitive or whitening toothpaste? When it comes to choosing the toothpaste that is best for you, it’s important to consider your unique oral health needs. The best way to discover what those are is by scheduling an oral exam with our doctors at Nicholas Cosmetic Dental Center. In the meantime, here are some options to consider while browsing:

• Anti-cavity: This type of toothpaste contains fluoride. Fluoride plays an active role in preventing decay, and it actively strengthens tooth enamel.


• Anti-gingivitis: If you spit blood in the sink, this is an early sign of gingivitis, a mild form of gum disease. Anti-gingivitis toothpaste helps reduce oral bacteria and can be very effective at stopping gingivitis in its tracks.


• Desensitizing: If you’ve ever bit into an ice cream cone and felt a sharp pain in your tooth’s nerve, this type of toothpaste will provide relief by blocking the tooth’s pain signal to the nerve.


• Tartar-control: This toothpaste does exact what it says, however, the best way to remove tartar is by scheduling a professional dental cleaning with one of our doctors.


• Whitening: This toothpaste contains chemicals that are able to help maintain the natural color of your teeth.

If you have questions about dental health or oral care, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at the practice, visit www.nicholascosmeticdentalcenter.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Nicholas Cosmetic Dental Center in Philadelphia, PA, call 215-279-1193.

Eliminate Pestiferous Plaque

Plaque forms as a result of chemical reactions that take place in your mouth. Plaque is a sticky substance made from leftover food particles and saliva that mix in your mouth. If you don’t brush properly after meals, it begins to form and build up on your teeth. If you don’t remove this pesky biofilm accordingly, it can lead to more serious conditions such as cavities and decay. Plaque can also turn into tartar that only our staff of hygienists at Nicholas Cosmetic Dental Center will be able to remove.

You can prevent plaque from forming in two ways. First, you need to pay attention to your diet. Since plaque needs carbohydrates to form, the fewer (bad ones) you eat, the better. You shouldn’t avoid carbohydrates altogether, however. Many healthy foods still contain carbohydrates such as bread, cereal, potatoes, and corn. Thus, some plaque is going to form when you eat. It’s important to understand that plaque will never go away completely, but it can be controlled with excellent oral hygiene and regular trips to the dentist.

If you are due for a dental checkup, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at the practice, visit www.nicholascosmeticdentalcenter.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Nicholas Cosmetic Dental Center in Philadelphia, PA, call 215-279-1193.

Are You Flossing Correctly?

Flossing your teeth is more important to your well-being than brushing and yet so many of us find reasons not to do it. Flossing does not only remove food from the teeth, but it removes plaque that can lead to tooth decay and eventually if left untreated, tooth loss. At Nicholas Cosmetic Dental Center, you may have told our hygienists that you don’t know how to floss, but after reading this post, you will no longer be able to use that as an excuse.

The correct flossing technique goes something like this:

• Wind 18 inches of floss around middle fingers of each hand. Pinch floss between thumbs and index fingers, leaving a one-to-two-inch length in between. Use thumbs to direct floss between upper teeth.


• Keep a one-to-two-inch length of floss controlled between fingers. Use index fingers to glide floss between contacts of the lower teeth.


• Gently guide floss between the teeth by using a zig-zag motion and be sure to contour floss around the side of the tooth.

If you have questions about how to maintain a proper oral hygiene routine, give us a call. For more information about the services we provide at the office, visit www.nicholascosmeticdentalcenter.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Nicholas Cosmetic Dental Center in Philadelphia, PA, call 215-279-1193.

The Proper Brushing Technique

At Nicholas Cosmetic Dental Center, our staff wants you to keep your permanent teeth for a lifetime and this begins with brushing your teeth. Brushing your teeth for two minutes twice a day helps you remove plaque which can lead to cavities and tooth decay. Many of our patients don’t realize that there are a number of proper techniques for effective tooth brushing so here is one we’d like to share.

• Place the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gums.


• Move the brush back-and-forth gently in short strokes.


• Brush the outer surfaces, the inside surfaces and the chewing surfaces of all teeth.


• To clean the inside surfaces of the front teeth, tilt the brush vertically and make several up-and-down strokes.


• Brush your tongue to remove bacteria and keep your breath fresh and don’t forget to floss!

If you have questions about how to maintain a proper oral hygiene routine, give us a call. For more information about the services we provide at the office, visit www.nicholascosmeticdentalcenter.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Nicholas Cosmetic Dental Center in Philadelphia, PA, call 215-279-1193.

Why Do My Teeth and Gums Hurt?

At Nicholas Cosmetic Dental Center we want you to understand that taking care of your mouth is very important, not only for your teeth and gums, but for your overall health. Neglecting your teeth and gums can make them susceptible to problems such as cavities, gum disease as well as bacterial infections. These problems can also compromise your oral well-being and cause your teeth and gums to hurt.

If your teeth hurt, a cavity could be the culprit. Cavities occur when plaque buildup on your teeth creates tooth decay. Plaque contains harmful acids that eat away at your tooth enamel and create tiny holes. Therefore, if you do not regularly remove plaque deposits from your teeth, your cavities will grow and begin to hurt. If left untreated, lingering plaque deposits can also affect your gums. If not removed daily, plaque hardens into a substance called tartar that can irritate your gums and lead to gum disease.

If you are experiencing pain with your mouth or gums don’t delay, give us a call. To learn more about services we offer at our practice visit www.nicholascosmeticdentalcenter.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Shireen Malik, or Dr. James Cavalancia at Nicholas Cosmetic Dental Center in Philadelphia, PA, call 215-279-1193. 

Benefits of Using a Tongue Scraper

We all know that the beneficial effects of daily brushing as a part of our dental healthcare will help in improving of our overall tooth and gum hygiene, but what about the hygiene of our tongues? Our bodies are constantly exposed to toxins from food, beverages, and the environment, and when toxins are not properly digested and eliminated, they linger in the body and begin to compromise our wellbeing. Here at Nicholas Cosmetic Dental Center, we want you to understand the importance of incorporating a tongue scraper into your oral hygiene routine.

Scraping the tongue daily removes any build-up which, if left untreated, can accumulate a significant number of bacteria. Tongue scraping is also slightly more effective than toothbrushes when it comes to controlling bad breath. Believe it or not, regularly scraping your tongue will enhance the power of your taste buds. When the grime from the deposit on your tongue is absent, it’s only natural that you find your food much tastier. Even if you are a smoker or enjoy strong-flavored foods, this daily dental ritual can save you from bad breath and other problems. You should clean your tongue at least once a day, but considering how little time it takes, it’s not a bad idea to do it every time you brush your teeth.

To learn more about services we offer at our practice visit www.nicholascosmeticdentalcenter.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Shireen Malik, or Dr. James Cavalancia at Nicholas Cosmetic Dental Center in Philadelphia, PA, call 215-279-1193.