Personal Hygiene
... disease, stress, genetics and mental abuse. PRINCIPLES OF HYGIENE TO ORAL HEALTH Introduction Our bodies play host to a number of organisms, most of which are quite harmless, and indeed some of which are actually essential for a healthy life. The mouth is no exception. There are a number of creatures that live in our mouths. Although most of these are friendly bacteria, some, which collect on our teeth, can cause tooth decay and gum disease. We need to keep the numbers of these bacteria down to a minimum to prevent oral disease. Brushing with toothpaste (also called a "dentifrice") Brushing and flossing are the most effective ways of cleaning teeth. Brushing cleans the cheek, lip and tongue sides of our teeth, and flossing cleanses the parts in between the teeth where a toothbrush cannot reach. A toothpaste and a correct brushing action work to remove plaque, a sticky, harmful film of bacteria that grows on your teeth that causes caries, gum disease, and eventual tooth loss if not controlled. Brushing and flossing are the most effective ways of cleaning teeth. Brushing cleans the cheek, lip and tongue sides of our teeth, and flossing cleanses the parts in between the teeth where a toothbrush cannot reach. Choose a small enough toothbrush to reach all parts of your teeth. Large brushes tend to miss corners and are difficult to manoeuvre. Squeeze a small amount of toothpaste on your toothbrush. Place your toothbrush at a 45° angle along the gum margin. Gently vibrate your brush in a back and forth movement (do not scrub as this can damage the gums). Then move your toothbrush onto the next tooth, and repeat until all cheek sides and tongue sides of your teeth are cleaned. After this is complete, clean the biting surfaces of your teeth, and as there are no gums to damage around these teeth, a good scrubbing motion are quite sufficient. Finally, turn your toothbrush 90°, and clean the back surfaces of your very back teeth. You may find this approach easier on some of your front teeth too. Having brushed your teeth, use your toothbrush to clean your tongue too. You should spend at least 2 minutes, morning and night, to make sure all your teeth are clean. Dental Tape/Floss Flossing helps clean teeth in the areas that brushing alone just cannot seem to reach (between the teeth and under your gum line). Flossing and then brushing helps remove plaque, a sticky substance that accumulates and hardens over time. One type of dental floss does not work for everyone. Consumers can choose between waxed or unwaxed, flavoured or unflavoured, and regular or tape types. In general, waxed floss slides between the teeth easier than unwaxed floss. Flavoured floss leaves a fresh taste in the mouth, and is especially nice for those times when brushing or rinsing is not possible. Tape floss is typically thicker than regular floss and is generally favoured by people with wide gaps between their teeth. Floss your teeth daily to help ensure the wellness of your teeth. We need to brush our teeth twice a day at least, in the morning and at bedtime, and use dental floss once a day. How to floss? To floss your teeth, cut a half-metre length of dental floss, and wrap a few turns around the middle finger of one hand and the rest around the middle finger of your second hand, leaving about 7cm loose in between. You can use your thumb and forefinger to manipulate this loose portion to access the spaces between your teeth. Use a see-saw motion to slide the floss past the contact point between your teeth, do not push or use an up and down movement to get through the contacts. Once you are through the contact, use a gentle up and down movement to clean the sides of both teeth along the space. Move the floss up and down three times along one tooth, then three times along the other. Then use a seesaw action to slide the floss backs out again. Disclosing tablets Plaque disclosing tablets contain a non-toxic red dye, which attaches to plaque on teeth and gums. They are very helpful to determine the effectiveness of oral hygiene regiment. After brushing and flossing, your son should chew a tablet and swish for about a minute. Once he has spit in the sink, you should inspect his teeth for areas, which are stained reddish-pink. These are areas where plaque remains because it was missed during the initial brushing and flossing. The person should re-brush and re-floss these areas until no more reddish-pink remains in the teeth. These tablets are very reliable and help children and adults easily see where they should brush. After you have brushed and flossed your teeth, chew a disclosing tablet and allow it to mix with your saliva. Swish the mixture around in your mouth for about 30 seconds and then spit it out. Gently rinse your mouth with water and examine your teeth for plaque that has been coloured with the dye. Use a dental mirror to see behind teeth and areas in the back of your mouth that are hard to see. After brushing and flossing your teeth, swish the special disclosing solution around in your mouth for about 30 seconds and then spit it out. Gently rinse your mouth with water, and then examine your teeth for plaque that has been colored with the dye. Shining the plaque light into your mouth allows you to see bright orange-yellow areas of dyed plaque. Use a dental mirror to see behind teeth and areas in the back of your mouth that are hard to see. Risks After using the disclosing tablets, your mouth and tongue may be temporarily stained for as long as a day with a harmless dye. Many people use the disclosing tablets at bedtime so that the stain left in their mouths can fade overnight. Some disclosing tablets can produce a bright red stain, which can stain clothing. Mouth Washes Chlorine dioxide is a common ingredient in mouth rinses for bad breath (i.e. halitosis). There are two types of chlorine dioxide rinses: stabilized and active. Both types can help reduce halitosis for short time periods by destroying the sulphur-containing molecules that cause bad breath. Chlorine dioxide is not very stable in solutions with normal pH--especially if it is stored for long periods of time between uses. Be cautious of any rinse that contains both chlorine dioxide and a flavouring agent like peppermint or spearmint. Chlorine dioxide will react with organic compounds, including flavouring agents. This limits the effectiveness because the deodorizing action of the chlorine dioxide compound is spent reacting with the flavouring agent instead of fighting halitosis! Mouth rinses are safe to use against bad breath provided that the instructions are followed carefully. For example, there are many conditions that may cause bad breath including gastrointestinal disorders. You and your dentist must definitively diagnose the cause of bad breath before beginning a treatment program. If used as directed, in addition to brushing and flossing, mouth rinses and mouthwashes can help to prevent tooth decay The effect of poor oral hygiene Gum Disease Gum disease, also called periodontal disease, is an inflammation or infection of the gums and bone that surround and support your teeth. It is caused by the bacteria in plaque, a sticky, colourless film that constantly forms on your teeth. Gum disease is the major cause of tooth loss among adults today. There are three stages of gum disease: Gingivitis: This is the earliest stage of gum disease, a mild inflammation of the gums. Plaque and tartar build up at the gum line causing your gums to get red and puffy. You may also notice some bleeding during brushing and flossing. The bone and fibbers holding your teeth in place are not affected. With treatment, gingivitis can be reversed. Periodontitis: At this stage plaque spreads to your tooth roots where infection occurs, damaging the supporting bone and fibbers that hold your teeth in place. Your gums may begin to pull away from your teeth forming a pocket below the gum line, which traps food and plaque. Proper treatment can stop further damage. Advanced Periodontitis: In this final stage of gum disease, the fibbers and bone supporting your teeth are destroyed, causing your teeth to shift or loosen. This can affect your bite and, if treatment can't save them, teeth may need to be removed to prevent further damage. What are the signs of gum disease? Gums that are red, puffy or swollen, and tender Gums that bleed during brushing or flossing Teeth that looks longer because your gums have receded Gums that have separated, or pulled away, from your teeth Teeth that have shifted or loosened Changes in the way your teeth fit together when you bite. Pus coming from between your teeth and gums. Constant bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth. Gingivitis (red, puffy gums) can often be reversed with proper brushing and flossing to remove plaque and debris. Prevention Prevention is better than cure. Fundamental to the Preventive approach is the Active Dental Hygiene programme. This means a regular and frequent dental hygiene schedule that is designed around your personal needs. The dental hygienist uses special instruments to remove the accumulated debris, plaque, tartar an...