From an early age we are always taught that if we look after our teeth then they will look after us. Our parents teach us the importance of brushing and flossing and that if we do that correctly we can avoid much unnecessary dental treatment in the future. It seems like such a simple deal to make; clean your teeth and they will stay healthy. Yet it seems by the increase in cases of tooth decay and the fact that 90 per cent of adults in this country will suffer gum disease at some point in their life, that we are perhaps forgetting the valuable childhood lessons.
Effective oral hygiene takes place mostly at home but should also include a six-monthly visit to a Weston-super-Mare dentist for a check up. They can make sure that your teeth are in good condition and outline any action you need to take to clean them more effectively.
A good oral hygiene routine includes brushing twice a day for three minutes. This should ideally be done with a soft-bristled brush angled at forty-five degrees to the gums. If possible, you should brush your teeth after every meal for the best chance of removing plaque and bacteria but this may not always be feasible. Flossing should be performed carefully once a day. This will help to remove bacteria from the tiny spaces between the teeth and also stimulate the gums around the base of the teeth. Your dentist may also advise you to use a tongue scraper or other dental implement such as an inter-dental brush.
Looking after your teeth well should only take you a couple of extra minutes a day. By following the few simple rules laid out for you by a dentist you will hopefully have to see a lot less of them in the future, only stopping in once every six-months for a quick check and a chat.
The essence of good oral hygiene is keeping your mouth free from bacteria, plaque and food debris so that it looks and smells as healthy as possible. This can be indicated by teeth that are clean and free from food particles and staining, gums that are pink and do not hurt or bleed when brushed and breath that does not smell.
This can be achieved by adopting a fairly simple but quite regimented system of cleaning and regular dental check ups. Teeth cleaning is carried out most effectively in several stages. The first and most important is brushing your teeth twice a day with an appropriate brush and paste. A Weston-super-Mare dentist can recommend the most suitable products for your particular teeth. Brushing should be carried out gently so as not to damage the gums and at a forty-five degree angle to the teeth for the most effective cleaning.
Second to brushing in importance is flossing, which dentists recommend should be performed once a day. Flossing is important because it cleans teeth below the gum line and in the difficult inter-dental areas hard to reach with normal brushes. Both brushing and flossing help to prevent the build up of plaque, a substance that releases damaging acids that cause tooth decay if not removed. They also remove food debris that causes over 90 per cent of cases of bad breath.
Further cleaning methods that can benefit oral hygiene are using mouthwashes (always ask your dentist before using), inter-dental brushes and tongue cleaners. Effective brushing and flossing should be enough but these other apparatus can also help in some cases. However, effective cleaning is only really beneficial when teamed with regular check ups with your dentist. Even the cleanest mouth can still be susceptible to dental decay, and only a trained dentist can spot the first signs of decay and gum disease. Dentists recommend a check up every six months to help keep your mouth as healthy and clean as possible.
Dr Gerrard is a Bristol based Cosmetic dentist with many years of experience and is one of only a small number of dentists accredited by The British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry