Electric Toothbrush Efficacy

Remember Proper Dental Hygiene!

Your teeth are meant to last a lifetime, and they can, if you take good care of them. In addition to seeing your dentist every six months, good hygiene requires thorough cleaning of not only teeth, but gums and tongue as well. The maintenance you provide your teeth at home can help prevent cavities and keep your gums from becoming diseased.

Plaque is a sticky white film that is always forming on your teeth and contains bacteria which cause tooth decay, also known as cavities. Plaque comes about when the normal bacteria that is always in the oral cavity is combined with food and spit. Consuming sweets or carbohydrates causes the organisms in the plaque to create an acerbic reaction that disintegrates the solid tooth covering.  If plaque is not removed, or builds up too often, the enamel can erode, which will cause a cavity to develop. Not only does plaque attack the teeth, but also targets the gums. Tartar occurs when teeth are not properly brushed or flossed and plaque is allowed to harden.

Tartar is very hard and collects at the gum line. Gingivitis, the first level of gum disease, may be occurring if gums express blood or become enlarged while cleaning.  Eventually, gingivitis will continue until it develops into Periodontitis, which eats away at the connective tissues in your teeth and forms pockets of bacteria. Left unchecked, you can experience tooth loss as the connective tissue starts to break down at the gums.

You need not only regular professional attention, but good teeth-cleaning habits at home to help keep plaque under control. Be sure that when brushing you’re doing it properly; holding the toothbrush so that it’s at an angle, and brush your teeth back and forth with short motions. Pay attention to brushing your teeth on every surface from every angle – inside and outside – and don’t forget a gentle brushing of your tongue.

By brushing your tongue, you will rid yourself of bacteria that causes bad breath. Brushing twice a day is fine for most people, but even better is to brush after eating at any time.  Experts agree that you should use a soft bristle toothbrush for brushing. Brushes should be changed about four times a year, or when the hairs spread out. Most people just get an electric toothbrush and think that will cover everything. This is a myth. The single efficacious method for eliminating plaque at the gum line as well as between your teeth is through routine brushing and flossing. You may also utilize an interdental brush for tough to reach spots.

Here is what the professionals suggest to do to make the most out of flossing. Not forcefully but gently push a long piece of floss between two teeth. Step two, move the floss around each tooth base northward and southward for a couple of repetitions. As you move from tooth to tooth make certain you are using a clean secion of floss each time, and that you don’t forget about the last teeth in the row at both upper and lower levels.  Some like waxed floss because it moves well. Your dentist and hygienist can instruct you if you have difficulty using long lengths of floss.

Floss holders are available. If you haven’t been flossing regularly, you may experience sore or bleeding gums for a few days, if the problem continues, contact your dentist.In addition to brushing and flossing, is your diet. If you consume foods and drinks that contain sugar for snacks, you are making your teeth more susceptible to decay, since the time of exposure that your teeth have to acid will be increased. But there are foods out there which can assist decay prevention. Eating aged cheese immediately after other foods can neutralize enamel-damaging acid.  Apples and pears, in addition to other starchy fruits, will create additional spit which removes any leftover food debris. In addition, they contain a lot of water that will lessen the impact of sugar. Sugarless gum will also make you produce more saliva, washing the bacteria away. Increasing your calicum intake through your diet or by swallowing supplements helps protect your teeth.

Eat more yogurt and green, leafy vegetables, which are high in calcium, or drink more milk. Fluoride is also a great way to stop tooth decay.  Most household water contains fluoride, but for those who aren’t so lucky, you can get a fluoride treatment for your teeth at your dentist’s office, or use a fluoride rinse. Even if your teeth are healthy and you have no problems, you need to see your dentist twice a year. If your gums bleed or you notice a difference in the way your teeth feel when you bite, or even if you experience pain, see your dentist. Robust teeth can last a lifetime when you take care of them and visit the dentist frequently.

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