Hygiene and brushing teeth

Brushing teeth and oral cavity, why do we brush our teeth?

By brushing regularly and properly, we keep our teeth clean without food residue and plaque deposits. This also supports the health of dental plaque, the health of the gums and oral mucosa, and the favorable composition of saliva.

BRUSHING YOUR TEETH IS A FUNDAMENTAL PROCEDURE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CARIES AND PERIODONTAL DISEASE

What do we use to clean our teeth?

We brush our teeth with toothpaste and a toothbrush.

To maintain the cleanliness of all tooth surfaces, we also use various aids such as dental floss, dental pickers, interdental cones, etc.

When and how do we brush our teeth?

There are various methods of brushing our teeth, and they depend on age and the condition of the oral cavity. Each person, in consultation with their doctor, should learn the brushing method that is most appropriate for the condition of their teeth and gums.

The mother will learn from the doctor how to care for the mouth and teeth of newborns and young children. Preschool children must brush their teeth in kindergartens, in addition to at home. School-age children will learn how, when and why to brush their teeth in pediatric dentistry, but both small and large children will behave the way their parents do. A small child will imitate their mother, and when they grow up, they will adopt oral hygiene habits from their parents, if they have incorporated them into their lifestyle.

Remember: Oral hygiene habits are acquired within the framework of family life.

Brushing children’s teeth

Mothers most often ask when to start brushing their child’s teeth.

The mother cares for the oral cavity and the first teeth that have emerged: first with a wet gauze, and after 24 months the child gradually becomes involved in adopting oral hygiene habits. This largely depends on the child’s development and interest in the environment. The child notices early on that the mother or siblings brush their teeth every day, so they will want to imitate them. They will become familiar with the toothbrush and want to play with it. At first, the mother gently brushes the teeth without toothpaste, then starts using children’s toothpaste in various flavors, teaching the child not to swallow the contents but to spit them out.

It is important that after brushing and before going to bed, the child does not eat anything else.

Brushing teeth from 6 to 14 years

At this age, there are no longer any gaps between individual teeth. The dental papilla is located between the teeth and food is pushed into this space when chewing. To thoroughly clean these spaces, the horizontal left-right method, which damages the tooth necks and gums, is not used, but the rotating method is used.

First, we brush the chewing surfaces. We place the brush horizontally on the last tooth and clean it forward with small circular movements. Then we brush the outer surfaces of the molars and premolars with rotating movements, from back to front, with closed teeth. Each tooth should receive 20 strokes with the brush. Inner surfaces of the teeth: first brush the back surfaces of the upper teeth, with small circular movements from back to front, then the lower inner sides of the teeth, also from back to front. Front teeth, brush in a circular motion in the direction of the tooth axis. Use a toothpaste with fluoride.

Cleaning the spaces between the teeth

DENTAL FLUSH – THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL

It is not easy to use and requires some patience, but once you learn the technique, you never forget it. The most important thing is to systematically remove plaque from both surfaces of the teeth in the space between the teeth, using up and down movements.

How to use dental floss?

Cut about twenty centimeters of floss from a roll that you can buy at the pharmacy and wrap it around your finger several times. To clean the upper teeth, wrap the floss around your thumb and index finger. The thumb is always outside. The floss is gently pulled between the teeth so as not to injure the gums. Then it is tensioned well and pulled, first towards one side of the tooth, and then towards the other.