Welcome to the comprehensive Guide to Dental Care and How to Improve Oral Health? Every person who cares about their health is sure to be interested in what are the rules for caring for their teeth and oral cavity, as well as the features of preventive hygiene procedures. Dental problems are much easier to prevent than to subsequently engage in lengthy and complex treatment, which does not always allow you to cope with diseases without negative consequences. That is why it is important to accustom yourself to high-quality comprehensive cleansing and maintain such habits throughout life. In addition, you need to instill them in young children from the moment the first incisor erupts.
What is proper hygiene?
Its main goal is the health of teeth and gums, freshness of breath, prevention of bleeding of mucous membranes, and elimination of deposits on surfaces. If a person regularly performs simple care procedures, the smile will be aesthetic and snow-white, and the risk of dental problems will be reduced to zero. The quality of food plays an important role. For example, to strengthen the enamel, it is recommended to eat apples.
What are the signs that hygiene care is being carried out effectively:
- Healthy dental units look clean, there are no stuck food particles and other foreign inclusions in the interdental spaces;
- Gums have a normal pinkish tint, there is no pain and bleeding when performing various manipulations;
- No bad breath;
- In the process of chewing food does not appear pain.
If the condition of the oral cavity is far from ideal, and any suspicious symptoms are present, it is necessary to visit the dentist. The doctor, if necessary, will treat and give useful preventive recommendations, help you choose a brush and paste, and point out the existing risks.
Proper hygiene helps prevent caries, periodontal disease, and other serious pathologies that lead to the loss of dental units and other irreversible consequences.
Studies have shown that hygiene procedures are important not only for the health of the entire jaw. There are pathologies that directly or indirectly arise as a result of dental disorders. For example, this includes diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, skin rashes, rheumatism, etc. Thus, with good cleansing, the human body as a whole will function normally and remain healthy.
What happens if you don’t brush your teeth
If you neglect the care procedures, plaque forms on the enamel layer. At first, it is soft and thin, easily washed off with running water, but over time, the deposits harden, penetrate hard-to-reach areas and cause carious lesions, as well as other problems. The more contaminated the jaw, the higher the risk of encountering pathological processes.
Plaque that has turned into hard tartar cannot be removed at home. In this case, only professional cleaning in dentistry will help. Hardened deposits injure the enamel, and gums, and provoke bleeding.
Lack of purification provokes many troubles. Pathogenic microorganisms in the mouth actively multiply and cause caries, otitis media, tonsillitis, and other diseases. Bacterial agents penetrate soft gum tissues and lead to gingivitis.
Poor hygiene is the cause of the appearance of an unpleasant odor from the oral cavity. At first, this symptom can be easily eliminated with mint gum, but over time, it begins to smell sharper.
In the most severe cases, you can completely lose the dentition. When exactly this will happen is a matter of time and genetic predisposition.
How to take care of your teeth and take care of your oral cavity: general principles
Both adults and children are well aware of the most important rule to perform daily hygienic cleaning twice a day, in the morning and the evening. This must be done well, using specially selected accessories and cleaning compounds. It is also necessary to additionally use flosses, rinses, and other means for better cleaning of surfaces and hard-to-reach places.
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A few nuances that not everyone knows about:
- Diet affects health. The diet must be correct and balanced. Unhealthy snacking between main meals should be avoided.
- In pastes and balms for rinsing, the presence of fluorine is required, which helps to strengthen the enamel.
- After cleaning, it is advisable to additionally use a rinse aid. The composition helps to destroy pathogenic microorganisms.
- The duration of cleansing occurs within 2 minutes or more.
Dental care: Language cleaning rules
Mucous membranes also need to be cleaned regularly along with hard tissues and interdental spaces twice a day. In dentistry, special devices are used to help eliminate plaque and other contaminants. These include:
- Scraper;
- Brush with a roller;
- Specialized spoon.
On some instruments on the back side (where there is no bristle), there is a special insert with a wavy structure. The tongue is cleaned with gentle “sweeping” movements in the direction from the root to the tip. A slight pressure on the instrument is allowed, but it is important not to injure soft tissues.
In the absence of care for the organ of taste, plaque accumulates on it, consisting of particles of food, microorganisms, and saliva. It provokes inflammation and other pathological processes. Clean mucous membranes support the normal functioning of the taste buds.
How to brush your teeth?
Choosing a good brush, paste and other hygiene products is not enough. It is important to follow the correct brushing technique to remove all deposits from the tooth surfaces.
General rules for the procedure:
- Removal of food particles from the interdental spaces with rotational movements in the direction from the gums to the crowns;
- Cleansing the jaw from the outside and the inside with smooth movements for 3 minutes;
- Cleaning the tongue and mucous membranes to freshen the breath and remove the bacterial layer;
- Floss application;
- Half-minute rinses with balm.
There are several home remedies. The best option is to select a dentist. All techniques have in common – the procedure should last at least 3 minutes if the standard pace is maintained.
In the absence of oral cavity diseases, you can additionally massage the gums with circular movements. Hard surfaces with a dense coating can be cleaned with a stiff brush, except in cases where the person has increased sensitivity and bleeding occurs periodically.
The top and bottom rows are cleaned in the same way. At the end of all manipulations, the front surface of the dental units is processed in a circular motion with closed jaws.
Some features of cleaning in individual cases:
- With increased sensitivity, devices with bristles of a certain stiffness are shown;
- In the absence of pathological processes, medium-hard bristles are suitable;
- Dentures are cleaned with a hard fiber accessory.
Many people prefer to use modern electric brushes. The attending physician decides which model should be chosen for a particular patient.
Cleaning of interdental spaces
For this, special threads or flosses are used. When diagnosing periodontal problems, it is recommended to use waxed fiber appliances, which usually do not damage soft tissues.
If inflammation develops, threads impregnated with a unique antibacterial solution come to the rescue. Also, fluorinated flosses are sold in pharmacies and specialized stores, which can be used after consulting a specialist.
Dental-type products are contraindicated for use in crowded dentition and other similar issues. Otherwise, the risk of damaging the enamel layer and mucous membranes increases.
Using a special balm
In what cases is the use of such compositions indicated:
- Diagnosed with chronic diseases of the mouth;
- Installation of elements of prosthetics;
- Increased sensitivity of hard and soft tissues;
- A person consumes strong coffee and black tea daily;
- One or more units have been extracted.
Such liquids are used for preventive and therapeutic purposes. The latter are appointed exclusively by specialists with a medical justification.
Professional hygiene
If a person has not figured out how to take care of his teeth and oral cavity at home, and the plaque has hardened and turned into tartar, only a professional can fix the problem.
What does it include?
Cleaning at the dentist includes the following manipulations:
- Examination to detect carious lesions;
- Removal of hard and soft deposits;
- Removal of pigment from coloring drinks and smoking;
- Surface polishing.
Occupational hygiene is carried out not only for prevention but is also an obligatory preparatory stage before carrying out any manipulations by the dentist.
Oral hygiene products
All care products and devices are used for specific purposes. They must meet the mandatory criteria and be suitable for a particular person in an individual case – only then will it be possible to maintain healthy teeth and gums for many years. Care is carried out in stages and regularly, but it is important to use only high-quality dental products.
Toothbrushes
The product is selected according to several parameters, for example, such as:
- Degree of stiffness of the bristles (soft, medium, hard models);
- Dimensions;
- The presence of a pad for processing the tongue (this element is optional, there are separate devices like scrapers, and spatulas, which are created specifically for this purpose);
- The shape of the bristles (for example, V-shaped);
- Electronic control (this option is more convenient, but not suitable for all patients due to existing contraindications).
Before buying, it is better to consult a dentist. The doctor will assess the condition of the tissues and give useful recommendations for choosing. The brush is replaced every 3 months.
Toothpaste
Sophisticated multi-component care products are designed not only to clean the surfaces of incisors, canines, and chewing units but also to eliminate unpleasant odors, and provide a positive therapeutic and preventive effect on hard and soft tissues.
Compositions of various types are used to treat and prevent dental problems. They also differ in texture, and content of fluoride compounds. For daily and temporary use, it must be selected by the dentist, especially during therapy.
The paste needs to be changed every 3-4 months. Sometimes it is required to use several formulations at the same time with different effects.
Dental floss
Floss is used to remove dirt from spaces between teeth. There are several types of such products: flat, round, twisted, with or without a wax coating. The choice of a suitable hygiene product is carried out by taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient, including depending on the distance between adjacent units. This is an additional measure to prevent dental disorders.
Tongue cleaners
Mucous membranes should be cleaned as often as hard tissues. To this end, there are many special devices on the market today. For example, you can purchase a scraper, spatula, or ordinary brush with a special coating on the back opposite the bristles.
Rinsers
One of the recommendations for proper care of teeth and oral cavity is the need to use special solutions containing fluorine, antiseptic substances, plant extracts, and other active ingredients. Rinsing should be performed at least 2 times a day after regular brushing for 30 seconds. Dentists advise doing this after every meal. Thus, hard and soft tissues are additionally cleansed of plaque and bacteria, inflammatory manifestations are eliminated, and breathing becomes fresher and more pleasant.
Prevention of dental diseases
Preventive measures carried out both at home and in the dental clinic are aimed at preventing pathologies of the teeth, gums, and oral cavity as a whole. Key tips everyone should be aware of:
- Regular hygiene (brushing twice a day, using thread, rinse aid);
- Exclusion of acidic foods and sweets from the diet;
- Giving up bad habits (smoking, alcohol abuse, etc.);
- Eating food in the form of heat;
visiting the dentist at least once every six months to assess the condition of hard and soft tissues.
Sometimes pathological processes do not arise due to improper cleansing, but due to the use of inappropriate devices. For this reason, it is advisable to select a paste, rinses, and other cleansers together with your doctor.
Children’s hygiene
Consider a memo on proper hygienic care of teeth and oral cavity at home. Teaching a child to take care of his health is necessary from the moment the first teeth erupt. The brush must have a certain level of bristle stiffness to prevent injury to the enamel and mucous membranes. Of course, milk teeth will fall out over time, but their condition directly affects the quality of the molars, canines, and molars that will come out later. That is why it is strongly not recommended to ignore cleansing procedures in childhood.
Toddler toothpaste should be free of fluoride because pre-schoolers often swallow them while brushing. To minimize the risk of allergic reactions, it is better to give preference to organic compounds.
To interest the child, you can show him a thematic cartoon or read a book with bright characteristic images. Currently, a wide variety of products are being produced to help caring parents.
Conclusion on Dental care
The health of the body directly or indirectly depends on the condition of the incisors, canines, chewing units, and mucous membranes. Above, we looked at the rules for caring for your teeth and oral cavity, and also got acquainted with the dentist’s advice on preventive measures. Try to take care of yourself, remembering to clean your teeth every day with high quality and in stages.