Oral Hygiene: Dental Care Mistakes You Could Be Making

We are all taught basic hygiene tips during childhood. In fact, one of the first things that we learn about basic hygiene is to brush our teeth daily to prevent our teeth from getting diseased. Yet, all indices have shown repeatedly that the incidence of dental problems is actually increasing all over the world. One reason for this is incomplete information being taught to the people which can lead to a development of counter productive habits.

Through careful observation and scientifically controlled studies, dental practitioners now know that some of the commonly taught practices need to be altered and/or explained in further detail so as to a lot of heartache and hassle. An understanding of the thinking behind commonly prescribed practices, as well as some of the common mistakes people make will help in achieving a higher level of oral health.

Brushing Your Teeth: The Truth

Brushing twice a day is instilled into almost every child at a young age. Nothing new about this right? Here is the important part. It is important to brush twice a day with a soft or a super soft tooth brush. All tooth brushes, whether manual or power, simple configuration or a complex arrangement of bristles, have to abide by ADA laid down specifications for bristle width and hardness.

These toothbrushes are then divided into hard, medium and soft tooth brushes. So in practicality, any tooth brush of any company that has "soft" on its packaging will be identical. A lot of people tend to go for a medium or a hard tooth brush, thinking it will be more effective in cleaning their teeth. Not only has this been found to be untrue, it is also detrimental to the health of your teeth and gums.

Here is the logic: The two most common forms of dental disease, tooth decay and gum disease, are caused by a thin layer of plaque that attaches to the teeth. Over a period of time this plaque gets mineralized and becomes what is commonly known as tartar or calculus.Though this calculus is unsightly to look at and helps in more plaque attachment to the teeth, it does not cause disease by itself.

The tartar is attached to the teeth via stronger forced than you can generate with your tooth brush and needs to be removed by a hygienist or a dentist as a part of regular recall maintenance visits.

Have you ever wondered why it is recommended to brush twice a day specifically? Why not thrice out four times?

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There is a solid logic to this. This number is based on the amount of time estimated for disease causing bacteria to start colonizing this plaque. Try and think of plaque like a micro-colony of various residents — some good, some bad. This plaque begins to form on our teeth as soon as we are finished brushing, however the initial bacteria to colonize the teeth are protective in nature and do not cause any harm. The pathogenic population of bacteria only starts to appear after 12 hours.

Toothpaste, Flossing And Mouthwash: Looking After Your Teeth Properly

So the next question arises: Is brushing more than two times a day harmful?

While it may not be harmful, the point remains that it is overkill. An exception to the rule is there if a particularly sticky food article is eaten during the day. At least rinsing out the mouth to ensure that sugar, which acts as a source of nutrition for pathogenic bacteria, is cleared from the oral cavity as soon as possible.

Choosing Your Toothpaste

If you have noticed, then up until now there has been no mention of the kind of toothpaste that is recommended for use. So, does the kind of toothpaste you use have an impact on your oral health? The answer to this question is that while the kind of toothpaste has a role to play, it is not as important as the multiple companies peddling their wares would have you believe. The reasoning behind is that plaque removal is a mechanical process.

Toothpaste though make brushing a much more pleasant experience thanks to the flavoring components inside it. They also have certain components like fluoride that has been proven to prevent in the occurrence of certain dental diseases. Use a toothpaste that has been tested and approved by the regulating authority in your country. In some countries, particularly some Asian and African countries, herbal tooth pastes and tooth powders that are extremely abrasive and thus detrimental to the teeth are popular.

What You Need To Know About Flossing

Our teeth are tightly joined to each other and it is extremely difficult to reach the interdental areas of the teeth. In such situations, the use of a floss is commonly recommended. This, however, is now changing. Plenty of practitioners have noted that over-zealous flossing has caused recurrent gum injury, eventually leading to recession and tissue loss. Also, waxed floss — which is very popular as it is easier to slide throughout the tight contacts between teeth — leaves a layer of this wax on the teeth, which in turn acts as a plaque retentive feature.

Patients may otherwise choose to floss on their own and it is recommended that they learn the proper technique to avoid causing injury to their gums.

Use Of Mouthwash

There are two kinds of mouthwashes that are available in the market: Medicated and Non medeicated. Medicated mouthwashes that prevent the build up of plaque should only be used on the recommendation of your dentist, while non medicated mouthwashes may be used as matter of routine.

While choosing the mouthwash, MAKE SURE YOU READ THE INGREDIENTS and choose one which does not have any sort of sugar additive. These non medicated mouthwashes may promise to prevent everything under the sun, however only serve to mask a mild halitosis. They are NOT a substitute for brushing under any circumstances.

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