Oral hygiene

ORAL HYGIENE

Oral hygiene is maintaining good oral health by protecting the teeth and gums . This can be achieved by daily preventive care of  brushing and flossing.

Brushing: It is a simple process of cleaning the teeth with toothbrush and paste. Selecting  the right toothbrush and paste is very important .

Several types of toothbrushes are available in various forms and sizes. Generally brushes marked soft are recommended which is gentle on teeth and gums. It is recommended to change the toothbrush once in every 3 months.

Brushing technique also plays an important role in preserving the teeth and gums, use of wrong brushing technique leads to abrasion of teeth.

Brushing technique: Using soft tooth brush and keeping it at 45 degree angle,with the bristles touching both the teeth and slightly the gums, start brushing from the upper left molar using rolling and back and forth motion with 2-3 teeth at a time and proceeding  to cover the entire dentition  in the same fashion. Both outer and inner surface of teeth should be covered. While brushing the inner surface of the front teeth the brush should  be kept vertical and back and forth motion should be given. The entire process should be finished in two minutes.

 Brushing should be done twice daily both in the morning and night. Brushing in the night after food is very important as there is decreased salivary flow  and  mouth activity is less while sleeping .Saliva naturally fights the growth of bacteria in the mouth,  its production is less in the night and the protective action is also low in contrary to the morning where there is lots of mouth activity like talking, moving the tongue and normal salivary flow which aids in moving off the food  particles from the teeth .

Toothpaste: It is used along  with toothbrush for brushing, generally paste with fluoride is recommended as it forms a protective layer over the enamel and prevents tooth decay.

Flossing:It is done using dental floss to remove food particles between the teeth. It may be either waxed or unwaxed . Dental floss is held between two fingers and gently inserted between the teeth and below the gum line and slowly moved away from the gum line to remove any food particles present. It is recommended to floss teeth atleast once everyday.

Mouthwash: It is to be used after brushing  , 20 ml of it twice a day  can  be used for rinsing the mouth, it enhances oral health.

Poor oral hygiene may lead to accumulation of acid producing bacteria  on the teeth. The acid produced by these bacteria causes demineralization of the enamel leading to tooh decay(cavity).

Swellimg and bleeding of gums(gingivitis), sensitivity of the teeth, periodontitis are also associated with poor oral hygiene.

Mouth and body : Mouth and body are related as various systemic conditions are reflected in the mouth, even intake of certain common drugs alters the salivary secretion.

Cardiovascular diseases, rheumatoid arthritis , diabetes and various other conditions are also associated with oral health. So maintaining a good oral hygiene is important for the body as a whole.

Ways to maintain good oral health:

1) Brush twice a day using the right brush and paste containing fluoride

2) Visit dentist regularly once in 3 months.

3) Do scaling once in 3 or 6  months.

4) Restore all decayed tooth and address all dental problems in the initial stages itself.

5) Have a balanced diet and avoid taking in lots of sugar and snacks.

“Happy Brushing”