Do you have some cavities? Are your gum swollen? Would you like to improve your oral hygiene, to avoid such problems in the future? Remember: proper oral hygiene allows you to save money on visits to the dentist. The following article provides some helpful advice on maintaining proper oral hygiene…
Proper oral hygiene: the best medicine for the health of your mouth
Oral hygiene is the best medicine for preventing a number of illnesses and problems tied to the oral cavity.
When teeth are not kept properly cleaned, they can cause the gums to swell or lead to cavities, pain or, in the end, tooth loss.
Proper oral hygiene, therefore, is the way to keep our teeth and mouths free of bacteria while guaranteeing that they stay as healthy as possible.
The toothbrush and toothpaste
What are the tolls to use for proper oral hygiene?
First of all, we should be sure to make use of our toothbrush and toothpaste on a daily basis at home. It is important to clean our teeth a number of times each day, and especially in the evening, before going to bed, in order to keep scraps of food from coming into contact with bacteria and turning into acids capable of dissolving the tooth enamel.
Our toothbrush should have a straight handle, with bristles that are not too stiff, but that stand perfectly straight, at a uniform length, with rounded tips measuring approximately 0.20 mm in diameter. When the bristles become bent or misshapen, it is time to replace the toothbrush.
Choosing a toothpaste is not as critically important as choosing the right toothbrush, though a good toothpaste should contain fluoride, which favours renewal of the mineral content of the teeth and prevents cavities.
Dental floss, interdental brushes and mouthwash.
To remove the bacterial plaque in the spaces between the teeth, where the toothbrush is unable to reach, the best solution is dental floss. This should be positioned in the space between two teeth, until it comes into contact with the gums, and then pulled outward, rubbing it along the surface of the teeth. The rubbing detached the bacterial plaque, which is removed for good by rinsing the mouth.
Another tool that can prove very useful in oral hygiene is the interdental brush, the best way to clean larger spaces between the teeth. This small-scale brush is inserted in the spaces between the teeth to remove left-over food and plaque.
Mouthwash can also prove extremely useful in ensuring proper oral hygiene, however it does not remove plaque, and so the toothbrush and toothpaste should always be used as the primary means of cleaning, with the mouthwash considered an aid to be used following the brushing of the teeth, to complete the cleaning process while disinfecting the mouth or simply refreshing the breath.
Bacterial plaque is hard to see, and so, to be sure that it has been removed, disclosing tablets should be used. These colour the plaque, revealing the areas that are not perfectly clean, so that the plaque can be fully removed.
Professional cleaning
Periodically, meaning at least once a year, or even more frequently in the case of individuals whose teeth are more subject to the accumulation of plaque and tartar, it is best that teeth be cleaned professionally, in a dentist’s office, in addition to standard oral hygiene, in order to remove all the plaque that we have not managed to get rid of with our daily cleanings, plus any tartar that has formed in the meantime.
In keeping with its professional ethics, the Freesmile Centre educates patients on the fundamental importance of oral hygiene in preventing dental diseases and conditions.
“We do our best to make it clear that neglecting your mouth now means running the risk, in the future, of problems that become quite serious, not only posing a threat to your health but also forcing you to spend a lot of money on treatment”.
