The main rule for maintaining a healthy, beautiful smile throughout life is to follow the rules of oral hygiene. Caries and periodontitis can develop even in adulthood, leading to more severe diseases.
Essential rules for all the life
Brush your teeth at least two times a day with fluoride toothpaste to remove plaque on the teeth, the leading cause of caries.
- Use dental floss daily to remove plaque from the interdental spaces and gum line before it hardens and turns into tartar. After mineralization of tartar, it can be removed only with the help of professional oral hygiene
- Limit the consumption of foods rich in sugar and starch
- Regularly visit your dentist to prevent oral diseases and to do professional teeth cleaning
Brushing your teeth is a hygienic procedure aimed at cleaning the surface of the teeth from food debris and soft plaque.
Basic oral hygiene is done with a toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss, and we also recommend using an oral irrigator. When brushing your teeth, the leading cause of caries and gum disease is bacterial plaque. Removal of bacterial plaque both at home and in the dental clinic is the primary measure to prevent caries, periodontal disease (gingivitis, periodontitis), and the formation of tooth pigmentation.
Tartar cannot be removed at home, so we strongly recommend visiting the dentist twice a year for a preventive examination and professional oral hygiene.
The right way to brush your teeth requires at least three minutes; make no mistake, 180 seconds! Most people are far from fulfilling this requirement. To brush your teeth properly, use short circular soft movements, paying special attention to the gum line, hard-to-reach places deep in the mouth, and areas around fillings, crowns, and other types of dentures. Here's how to brush your teeth in each area of your mouth:
- Clean the outer surfaces of the upper and then lower teeth
- Clean the inner surfaces of the upper and then lower teeth
- Clean the chewing surfaces
- Do not forget to clean the surface of the tongue
It should be remembered that the treatment and prevention of gum disease are most effective in the early stages, at the first signs of the disease. After all, there are a number of diseases of the oral mucosa (leukoplakia, hyperkeratosis of the lips, erosive cheilitis, etc.), which progress slowly and do not cause pain or other problems but tend to degenerate into malignant tumors. Timely detection and treatment will help save not only health but also human life.
How often to change a toothbrush?
The toothbrush should be changed at least once every three months. Therefore, the replacement of brushes can be associated with the onset of a new season: brush-winter, brush-spring, brush-summer, brush-autumn. Changing the toothbrush after a cold is also essential, as the bristles can accumulate bacteria that contribute to re-infection or carry out proper disinfection of the brush.
Oral hygiene in children
The sooner you teach your child oral hygiene, the fewer problems with the maxillofacial system you can expect in the future. The main thing is that the cleaning procedure brought the child pleasure and reminded him of the game. Parents should start regular oral hygiene with the appearance of the first teeth and the introduction of complementary foods. Up to about six years of age, the child's teeth are brushed by the parents, and the child repeats the movements, so he learns to feel and get used to where the brush should be and how it moves. To conduct a quality education of the child, parents need to have a perfect brushing technique. Gradually teach your child to participate in this process, without forcing, mainly in the form of games. A personal example is also significant.
Teeth cleaning in treating by bracked systems
Treatment with bracket systems requires special hygienic care of the oral cavity. Brackets make it difficult to maintain hygiene and create hard-to-reach places for cleaning.
For brushing your teeth with brackets, it is recommended to use special brushes that will better clean the space between the brackets and under the arches. However, it should be remembered that the usual cleaning for those who wear brackets is not enough. Patients with brackets need professional brushing every few months. If the hygiene is not carried out properly, the result of treatment may not be to the liking of both the patient and the doctor.
What are the special requirements for oral care in adulthood?
Even with proper dental and gum care, adults may need exceptional help maintaining oral hygiene. Fortunately, Digital Dental Clinic can successfully meet these requirements.
Oral health can also affect the overall health of the body. Recent studies suggest a link between periodontitis and other diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It is necessary to brush your teeth at least twice a day, floss every day and regularly undergo examinations and professional brushing every six months to prevent periodontitis.
Prevention in dentistry includes:
- preventive examination
- oral hygiene
- pediatric dentistry
Preventive examination
This is a necessary procedure that must be performed at least twice a year. During the examination, the doctor checks oral hygiene, the condition of the teeth and soft tissues of the oral cavity, or the state of dentures.
Oral hygiene
In our clinic, it is a system of treatment and prevention measures to prevent the occurrence and progression of oral diseases.
Pediatric dentistry
Pediatric dentistry is a separate area. Young patients require special attention and approach. All processes in the young body are entirely different from adults, and this should be considered - even in dental treatment. In addition to dental medicine, pediatric dentistry also deals with the prevention of caries, the prevention of fears associated with dental treatment, problems with speech and function, and avoiding many dental issues in old age. Pediatric dentistry is the smiles of your young children and the smiles of adults and successful people in the future!
Children perceive visiting the dentist and manipulating the doctor differently than adults. The first visit to the dentist is often crucial for the child's future relationship with doctors. Negative communication experiences with the dentist can haunt a child all his life. For this reason, the child should be prepared for the first visit to the dentist.