1.The Ideal Toothbrush:There are a multitude of different shapes and sizes of toothbrushes available.It is however, best to use a simply designed or slightly angulated tooth brush.A brush with a head approx 2.5com in length is ideal for use in an average adult.Nylon bristles are superior to natural bristles because they are more hygienic and are easier to maintain.Medium textured brushes are the best because they cause very little injury to the gums.
How Often Should You Replace Your Brush?
Generally, the bristles of the medium toothbrush splay in about4-6 weeks.This is when the brush needs to be replaced.
How Frequently Should You Brush Your Teeth?
Ideally teeth should be brushed immediately after each meal.The brushing before going to bed is important because during sleep the flow of saliva is reduced and any food that is retained in the mouth during the night causes the most damage.
2.The Toothpaste:Toothpastes are supplementary to the brush-they aid in the cleaning and polishing of accessible surfaces of the teeth.The main constituents of toothpastes are mild abrasives, soaps, detergents, colouring agents and flavouring agents.Additional substances such as ammonium salts, chlorophyll, flourides, and clove have been used with varying degrees of success.The value of flouridated toothpastes in preventing caries is now definite.If a commercial paste is not available, salt and bicarb of soda are very cheap and effective substitutes.It is, however a bad practice to rub lime juice on the teeth as it can damage the teeth.
3.Dental Floss:The toothbrush cannot adequately clean in between the teeth.Dental floss is the most efficient method to clean this area.Waxed and unwaxed floss is available.The floss is wrapped around two fingers and gently pulled backwards and forwards between the teeth, taking care to avoid damage to the gums.It is best to learn this technique from your dentist.
4.Dentist And Oral Hygiene:For good teeth regular visit to the dentist is necessary.His role is to ensure the complete elimination of decay and stagnation.This is done by scaling, polishing and filling the teeth, and carrying out corrective techniques as and when necessary.This ensures that there is no region in the mouth where food can lodge and cause problems.Further he would advise you on the techniques of oral hygiene.A visit once in 6 months is usually adequate.
Diet And Teeth:
1.Flourides:
Adequate intake of calcium, phosphorus, flouride and vitamins A, C, and D are essential.Most of these are present in adequate amounts in the normal balanced diet.Only Flourides tends to be deficient and needs to be suplemented.Teeth containing flouride are definitely more resistent to decay.
Adequate intake of calcium, phosphorus, flouride and vitamins A, C, and D are essential.Most of these are present in adequate amounts in the normal balanced diet.Only Flourides tends to be deficient and needs to be suplemented.Teeth containing flouride are definitely more resistent to decay.
2.Carbohydrates:
There is a definite relationship between caries(tooth decay) and the intake of refined carbohydrates like flour, sugar, and other carbohydrates which have been treated in order to make them whiter, less fibrous and tastier.Refined carbohydrates become sticky quickly and cling to the teeth for long periods.They are easily broken down to acids by the bacteria in the mouth, these acids are primarily responsible for tooth decay.The best would therefore be to stick to natural unprocessed foods-fats, cereals, meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits and cheese.The sugar substitutes like saccharin also do not cause caries.
3.Other Foodstuffs:
Frequent consumption of acidic foodstuffs(like habitual drinking of carbonated drinks and excessive consumption of some fruit juices) is associated with erosions of the teeth.It is also suggested that one should end meals with fibrous foods such as carrots and other salads as fobrous foods might have a mild cleansing reaction as they remove food debris from the teeth.
Common Dental Problems:
1.Dental Caries(Tooth Decay):
Tooth decay is the disease of the hard parts of the teeth, leading to disintegration.The only successful way to stop tooth decay is to cut down on the frequency of eating sugar.Adequate brushing alone will also not eliminate decay, but it does stop the plaque film from building up to a great thickness.
Tooth decay is the disease of the hard parts of the teeth, leading to disintegration.The only successful way to stop tooth decay is to cut down on the frequency of eating sugar.Adequate brushing alone will also not eliminate decay, but it does stop the plaque film from building up to a great thickness.
2.Plaque:The film of bacteria known as plaque forms very quickly on the tooth surfaces.Bacterial plaque is only one of the factors in the causation of dental caries.The areas of the teeth such as the pits and fissures in between the teeth where the brush cannot reach, are the places where plaque remains undisturbed despite frequent brushing.Flourides definitely helps to prevent tooth decay.Thus people who live in an area which has an optimal level of flouride in the water suffer much less from tooth decay.80%-90% of the toothpastes in the market today contain flouride.
3.Gum Inflammation:Gum Inflammation or Pyorrhoea is one of the commonest diseases in the world.The patient may sometimes notice bleeding of gums especially while brushing the teeth.Bad breath is most commonly caused by chronic inflammation of the gums.In this disease oral hygiene and interdental cleaning is the most important preventive measure.Smokers in general have a poorer oral hygiene as compared to nonsmokers
