Three Steps To Oral Health

By Super Admin

Wednesday, May 18, 2011, 12:36

When we talk of dental care, the first thing that comes to our mind is to brush our teeth regularly. But is just brushing regularly enough?

Oral health is not just about brushing your teeth but about how to brush properly. Its about choosing the right brush and the right paste too. You may find it weird to read about how to brush properly, but that is the first step to dental care.

Here are the three steps to a good oral health.

Choose The Right Brush

We all tend to randomly pick up any tooth brush available in the store. Most of the time our decision is guided by the price tag. Not that all expensive tooth brush are good, we have to make a wise choice when it comes to buying a brush.

Using the right brush is the key factor in preventing any gum problem or dental disease. You should avoid natural bristles. Instead, opt for the nylon ones. They remain in shape and do not become soggy easily.

The bristles should not be too soft (as there will be no effect at all) nor should be extremely hard. Extra hard bristles can make your gum bleed.

The shape of the bristles should be such that it can reach up to the end of the last tooth. If the extreme end of your denture is neglected, the molars stand a high chance of decay.

Choose A Good Paste

The market is flooded with various tooth pastes and each one of them claim to be the best. As users, not knowing the difference between them, our choice is influenced by the external packaging and other marketing strategies.

Some toothpastes are rich in fluoride and tartar controlling agents, some are gel-based while others are cream based. Each paste has one dominant quality. Some are good for whitening, others may have mint to keep your breath fresh.

All pastes have few similar components like silicates and calcium carbonates. These are responsible for the actual scrubbing of teeth. Pastes also include thickening agents, glycerol, tartar controlling agent and so on.

So choose your paste depending on your requirement. Before picking up the toothpaste do not forget to check the components and ensure that the product is approved by American Dental Association.

Proper Way To Brush

Brushing teeth is a regular activity that we all are familiar with. We start brushing as early as 2 years of age. One cannot be taught to brush properly. Here are some tips that one can keep in mind while brushing.

Do not wet your brush before start brushing. Water dilutes the effects of the components and reduces its effects on the teeth.

Do not apply too much of paste on the brush. Excessive paste creates a foam and makes you spit early.

It is better to apply paste twice. After spitting and rinsing your mouth for the first time, apply paste again and brush for 2 minutes.

Teeth has five surfaces – front, back, 2 sides and the chewing surface. Consciously clean all the sides.

Dentists suggest that the brush should be applied in 45 degrees to the gum. Cleaning the gum is as important as cleaning the teeth. Uncleaned gum leads to gum infections.