Oral Hygiene - Keeping Your Mouth and Teeth Healthy

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Taking care of your mouth and teeth, also known as Oral Hygiene, is an important part of keeping your body healthy. Every day, we eat foods which get lodged between the teeth and on the tongue. Bacteria feed on this food. These bacteria cause not only bad breath, but can also enter the blood stream. Oral bacteria are associated with several systemic diseases:

  • Cardiovascular problems (heart attack, stroke|cerebral stroke),
  • Pneumonia due to inhaling bacteria present in the mouth,
  • Premature birth, and low fetus weight at birth time,
  • Increased risk of diabetes,
  • Osteoporosis of the jaw and generalized,
  • Infertility problems for men.

(source: Wikipedia)

The following practices should be a part of your daily oral hygiene regimen:

Contents

[edit] Brushing

Brushing your teeth and tongue twice a day is the best way to remove the enamel-damaging bacteria that cause plaque, gum disease, and bad breath. The American Dental Association recommends using a soft bristled brush and an antimicrobial toothpaste that contains fluoride.

You should also note that your toothbrush needs to be replaced every three to four months. If the bristles on your toothbrush are frayed or splayed, its time for a new one.

[edit] Interdental Cleaning

Interdental cleaning, also known as interproximial cleaning, is a term that means cleaning between your teeth and below your gum line. While brushing takes care of the majority of damaging oral substances, the areas between your teeth account for around 35 percent of the surface area of your teeth. That means, without interdental cleaning, over a third of your teeth are continually exposed to the erosive bacteria that thrive there.

Fortunately, there are number of products designed to help you perform interdental cleaning, including:

Floss

This trusted oral care tool has been around since 1815, when a New Orleans doctor named Levi Spear Parmly began touting the benefits of running a silk string between one's teeth.

Today, floss is made of materials like nylon and Gore-Tex, and the American Dental Association recommends flossing at least one per day. With good reason, too. A study published in the Journal of Periodontology Online found that individuals who flossed daily for two weeks experienced 38% less gum bleeding that the group who did not floss.

Interdental brushes

An interdental brush is essentially a tiny brush attached to an angled plastic handle. An interdental brush can be used instead of floss to clean the area between your teeth. Interdental brushes enable the user to floss in areas of the mouth that may otherwise be difficult to reach.

Interdental brushes often come with different-sized brushes, which are suitable for getting between the different-sized spaces between your teeth. In interdental brush should never be forced between teeth. Doing so may cause damage to your teeth and gums. If the brush does not easily fit in an interproximal space, attach a smaller brush and continue.

Rubber tips

The primary function of rubber tips is to stimulate your gums, which is why they are also known as gum stimulators and gum massagers. The increased blood flow induced by prodding at your gums with these rubbery utensils promotes healthy gums.

However, rubber tips are not an adequate tool for cleaning between teeth. Feel free to add rubber tips to your oral care regimen, but don't use it a a replacement for more effective forms of interdental cleaning like flossing and interdental brushing.

Woodsticks

Like the name suggests, woodsticks are wooden picks that are used to clear large particles from between your teeth. And because the woodpick can stimulate your gums, you can also use them to experience the same health benefits granted by rubber tips.

When used regularly, woodpicks have been found to reduce gum inflammation, but they little effect upon the amount of interdental plaque. In other words, woodsticks are good for removing large interdental particles, and for massaging your gums, but you still need to floss.

[edit] Mouthwash

The earliest documented mention of mouthwash (aka mouthrinse) comes from a Chinese text dating from around 2700 BCE, which prescribes rinsing one's mouth with urine. Fortunately, with modern mouthwashes you can supplement your regular brushing and flossing routine without gargling bodily waste.

Different types of mouthwashes (aka mouthrinses) have different functions. Flouride-based rinses strengthen the dental enamel. Anti-bacterial mouthwashes focus on killing oral microbes. And a third class of mouthwash combines both of these benefits into one solution. Research conducted by the National Institutes of Health suggests that even if you already brush and floss, including flouride and anti-microbial mouthwashes to your regimen can enhance the health of your mouth by as much as 8 percent.

[edit] Tongue Scraping

Tongue scrapers look like small plastic spatulas, and they are used by gliding the device from the back of your tongue to the front of it. This process removes "tongue plaque" which is made of the same germs and tartar that form the plaque on your teeth.

You should already be cleaning your tongue as part of your twice-daily tooth brushing regimen. But if you want a little extra protection against bad breath and bacteria, tongue scraping may be the way to go. Research published in Evidence-Based Dentistry found "a small but statistically significant difference in reduction," in both halitosis and plaque-causing compounds in participants who both brushed and scraped their tongues.

If you want to scrape your tongue but don't want the waste or expense of purchasing the plastic scrapers from the store, you can use concave side of a metal spoon to perform much the same function.

[edit] References and Further Reading

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