Regular and thorough oral hygiene helps maintain healthy teeth and gums. The condition of teeth and gums depends largely on the quality and thoroughness of oral hygiene. No dentist will argue with this statement.
Of course, genetics and other factors are very important, however, it is impossible to underestimate the importance of oral hygiene as it also affects other aspects of health. For example, proper hygiene can reduce the risk of heart failure by reducing the number of harmful bacteria in the mouth. It also makes it easier to avoid atrial fibrillation, a condition that causes an irregular heart rhythm.
What is Oral hygiene?
We all know that to enjoy oral health, good dental hygiene is essential and as a result, we will get healthy teeth, gums, and tongue.
Dentists face numerous diseases on a daily basis from patients, but the three most frequently seen in consultations are:
- Dental caries (destruction of dental enamel, which is the hardest outer layer of the tooth).
- Gingivitis (inflammation and bleeding of the gums).
- Periodontal disease (destruction of the tissue that supports the tooth attached to the maxillary bone).
To prevent them, it is essential that you adopt these four simple habits: good brushing, flossing, rinsing, or mouthwash and visiting the dentist regularly. Using natural oral care products is the best way to eliminate problems.
When to start brushing your teeth
The answer to the question that parents often ask about when children should start brushing their teeth is unambiguous: from the very first years, almost immediately, as soon as the first baby teeth appear.
It is necessary to instill in the child the desire to observe the rules of hygiene and learn how to brush their teeth, how often, and correctly.
Fortunately, modern dentistry offers many natural dental care products for quality hygiene:
- There are toothbrushes of all shapes and sizes, of any stiffness, for adults and even for the youngest children.
- There are natural toothpastes for general and private use (against bleeding gums, with calcium or herbs, for whitening, etc.
- Flossing.
- Mouthwashes.
Natural Oral care can be very diverse, everyone can easily choose for themselves convenient and suitable means for their needs. You don't have to worry about how to get rid of tooth decay if you include careful brushing and care in your daily ritual without exception and compromise.
Of course, when a tooth or molar hurts, you should make an appointment with your dentist immediately, as this is an almost 100% sure stage of caries, pulpitis, or periodontitis.
Regular oral hygiene rule number 1
The most important principle of natural oral hygiene is regularity and, once again, regularity. Only constant cleaning will help to keep the oral cavity in good condition, prevent the development of microorganisms, and the appearance of cavities.
Dentists recommend brushing your teeth at least 3 times a day: in the morning after breakfast, after lunch and in the evening before going to bed. If that opportunity exists, after each meal, you should brush your teeth and remove food, which then becomes a fertile environment for the development of cavities.
South Korean scientists have studied the relationship between oral hygiene and heart problems. 161,000 people between the ages of 40 and 79 took part in their experiment. The results were independent of other factors, such as age, sex, and financial status.
According to the results, brushing your teeth at least three times a day can decrease the propensity for heart failure by more than 12 percent and the risk of atrial fibrillation by 10 percent. Experts say this happens because it decreases the number of harmful bacteria in the oral cavity. Frequent brushing prevents them from entering the bloodstream. The research was published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
2 minutes, this is the minimum time that the cleaning should take, one minute for each jaw, covering even the most remote and inaccessible areas, the front and back surfaces of the teeth and especially the spaces between them.
Good oral care consists not only of strong teeth and good heart health, but also of healthy gums because gingivitis, stomatitis or periodontitis often appear only because of poor oral hygiene, when, by not brushing frequently or not having any idea how to brush their teeth, dental patients do not remove all the plaque, and the gums suffer from this as well.
People who approach the subject of thorough brushing do not know what cavities are, or at least suffer from them much less than those who brush their teeth sporadically.
You should choose a good toothbrush and natural toothpaste. By the way, you should change your toothbrush regularly, because in the damp environment of the bathroom it becomes a source of bacteria and they get damaged over time. 3-4 months is the term for the "work" of the toothbrush, no matter how expensive and high quality it is.
Teeth with any type of restoration, crowns, and implants require, perhaps, even more care, a plaque also forms on them. The space between the teeth and the crowns, between the bridge and the gum, needs to be carefully studied and cleaned. It is in the joints that plaque can accumulate and develop bacteria.
Toothbrush selection
Toothbrushes are divided into different categories, including stiffness. Stiff ones retain their properties longer, but only people who have no problems with their enamel and gums should use them, everyone else should opt for a medium or low stiffness brushes.
For example. bleeding gums are an occasion not only to use soft-bristled brushes, (so as not to further damage the gums) but also to visit a dentist to be examined for gingivitis or periodontitis.
If the disease gets worse, teeth start to wobble in the weak gums, and they are increasingly at risk. There is no particular difference in efficiency between standard and electric toothbrushes: the latest electric models, such as oral-b, are more practical, but they must be changed just as regularly.
Toothpaste selection
It is important not only to understand how to brush your teeth correctly but also to choose the right toothpaste for this. When you have periodontitis or gingivitis, you should use a natural antibacterial, therapeutic, or anti-inflammatory toothpaste.
In order not to know what caries are, as well as periodontitis, use fluoride toothpaste. They should be alternated with other species without fluoride. The ideal option is to visit a dentist who will advise you on an appropriate toothpaste according to the state of your gums and teeth.
Flossing
One of the most important reasons dentists want you to floss is to fight plaque. Plaque is a layer of bacteria that is stored on your teeth. The sugary foods in your food nourish the plaque and it eats away at the tooth enamel.
This bacterial activity is what drives cavities and dental health problems as well as coronary health problems (mentioned above). That's where the warning comes from that you don't have to eat a lot of sugar.
If you floss after every meal, you'll get rid of the plaque before it starts to build up. But make sure you brush your teeth after you floss!
Oral irrigators
Using an oral irrigator in your oral hygiene routine can be very helpful in preventing gum disease. They help:
- Decreasing the number of bacteria that make gum disease more likely to develop.
- Decrease the accumulation of plaque by 99% more than just brushing Works even better with brushing and flossing.
- It helps reduce gingivitis, specifically in people who don't floss regularly.
- Decreases the propensity for bleeding gums.
- Corrects bad breath.
Oral irrigation was designed to replace flossing, but every dentist recommends flossing because it is more effective at getting rid of plaque.
When flossing is not recommended
Oral irrigation is most often recommended by dentists for people who cannot floss. For example, people with over-sensitive gums, diabetics, those who have dental implants, or those who wear any kind of braces. In these cases, it is a more effective option instead of flossing.
Mouthwashes
Mouthwashes are an additional method after brushing your teeth, unable to remove plaque independently. Mouthwashes contain many ingredients, including flavors and dyes, and often contain antiseptics. They sometimes contain a large amount of alcohol, even more than regular alcoholic beverages.
Mouthwash has a refreshing effect, but its effect cannot be evaluated as definitely positive, and the alcohol it contains may simply be dangerous. Before you buy it, pay attention to the warning label about the presence of a large amount of alcohol.
You can use a rinse that contains hydrogen peroxide. This ingredient has antiseptic properties but does not harm teeth.
Using antiseptic mouthwashes is not necessary if your mouth is healthy, but they are very relevant to bad breath, pain, or infection in your mouth, or when you feel uncomfortable or find it difficult to brush your teeth.
Dental floss, mouthwash, is it important to use them?
Flossing is very important, it is the only way to clean the space between the teeth (where the brush does not reach). The mouthwash helps to eliminate bacteria chemically, and its use should be after brushing and flossing; by itself, it is not effective.