Maintaining a healthy mouth with sound teeth and gums incorporates more than just brushing twice daily. It has been clinically proven that brushing twice daily with a fluoridated tooth paste prevents tooth decay. Having said that, we now know more about decay and how it occurs. The measures of preventing tooth decay and gum disease far exceed tooth brushing only. Here are some tips to consider to safeguard your precious 32 pearls.
Brushing the right way.
Inadequate tooth brushing or faulty tooth brushing will either lead to tooth decay or to destruction and wear of the tooth surface; all leading to sensitivity, decay and possible tooth loss.
Yes, we should brush twice daily using a fluoridated tooth paste. Brushing should elapse 30 seconds to cover all the surfaces in each corner of the mouth from the inside out. Use the tooth brush by tilting the head 45 degrees and using gentle stokes to brush in the direction of the gums. This ensures the mechanical removal of the bio-film responsible for plaque formation and it also massages the gum. Spit the excess of the tooth paste and don’t rinse for another half an hour. we want the fluoride in the tooth paste to remain on the tooth surface; to make them stronger and to relieve tooth sensitivity.
2) To floss or not to floss.
All recent studies show that cleaning in-between the teeth is of paramount importance to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. Most people find it frustrating to use the floss because no one has show them how to use one. Perhaps we can help! Ideally, use a 20-25 cm piece and form two loops on your two pointer fingers. Gently tuck the tape in-between the teeth and pull gently. Don’t be put off if your gums start to bleed or the floss comes back with food and a foul smell. That’s quite normal. As your gums start to heal the bleeding will stop and the foul odor will disappear. Flossing entails cleaning about 40% of all teeth surfaces. That’s a lot!
3) Fillings, caps, bridges, and implants, anyone?
All dental work such as veneers, fillings, caps, bridges and implants should be treated as your natural teeth. As a matter of fact studies have show that all dental work, regardless of how accurate and well they are made, are plaque retentive factors. In English, they pile up food more than your natural standing teeth. This requires your attentive care if you want to maintain your investment in your health and in your dental bills. Using Interdental cleaning aids such as Te-Pe brushes are important to clean the gaps in-between caps, bridges and implants.
4) A balanced healthy diet.
Our modern diet is on sugar steroids. You won’t believe the amount of added sugars to our daily intake of foods and drinks.. ketchup, milk, baked beans, bread, and juice.
Our precious pearls are inundated by many acid attacks on a daily basis. If we don’t pay close attention to the sugar content, texture and intervals of our food intake then regardless of how well we maintain our clean teeth we will be always be prone to have decay and gum disease. Acids weaken the tooth surface.
5) Visit Cairo Smile!
Dental check ups twice a year are no joke if you are serious about maintaining your oral health in a good condition. During your routine dental check up we take two x-rays to eliminate the presence of decay and ensure the integrity of any previous dental work. We also carry a professional deep cleaning of your gums using state of the art ultrasonic scaler by E.M.S and we gently remove stains and tartar lying deep under the gums using Air-Flow therapy.
