How To Properly Brush And Care For Your Teeth
Believe it or not, most Americans are brushing their teeth incorrectly
. Learning how to brush your teeth in the proper way can save your mouth from pain and expense down the line.
Brushing our teeth is an everyday activity for all of us. Yet, it is staggering that quite a majority of adults do not know the correct method to properly brush their teeth leading to oral concerns in the long run including but not limited to plaque, calculus, bleeding gums, Halitosis (bad breath), gum diseases, caries, and tooth discoloration.
It should be noted that most of these dental problems do not evoke any symptoms or pain until they have progressed to a relatively advanced stage. In fact, many people search on the search engines on "how to brush my dogs teeth" when they should rather be searching for "how to brush my teeth."
There have been various tooth brushing techniques suggested historically by dentists but the most accepted brushing technique is "the bass method." To begin with, always use a soft bristled tooth brush, hard bristles damage your gums leading to gingival recession.
Wet your toothbrush and take a pea amount of toothpaste. Hold the tooth brush tilted an angle of 45 degrees towards your gums.
The upper teeth (Maxillary teeth) should be cleaned first. Begin at the frontal (visible) aspect of the most posterior teeth and clean the teeth three at a time.
Use short, back and forth motions without exerting too much pressure. Concentrate on the part of tooth which is nearer to the gums (the neck of the tooth technically referred as Cervical 1/3 of tooth) as improper cleaning of this part is most often responsible for gum diseases.
First, clean the frontal (visible/outer) surface of teeth, then the chewing surface and lastly the inner surfaces. If you find the head of brush too large to maintain the 45 degree angle while cleaning the inner surface of teeth, use the brush vertically.
Now, Lift the brush and move anteriorly to the next three teeth and repeat the same process cleaning the outer, chewing and inner surfaces. Continue along the arch till you reach the end of the arch and then shift to the lower teeth and clean them in a similar way.
Brush gently along the gum line of your tooth as this effectively dislodges any accumulated food debris (on which bacteria grows). Brush your tongue too which keeps bad breath away.
It is a well established belief that brushing daily strengthens our teeth and makes them healthier and we use it daily never even wondering how it actually works. One must know not only the mechanism of action of a toothpaste but also the role of individual ingredients which will help in choosing an effective toothpaste.
The mechanism of toothpaste action is as follows. Abrasive Action means the abrasive agent in the toothpaste physically removes the solid particles in the oral cavity by abrasive action.
It also helps in removing food stains and polishing tooth surface. It is an established fact that Tooth Powders have almost twice the abrasive action of toothpaste.
Next, antiseptic action means that the toothpaste contains antimicrobial agents such as Xylitol which inhibit the growth of bacteria in the mouth which is especially helpful in gingivitis. Next, is the action of fluoride.
Fluoride is an important aspect of a toothpaste. It replaces the hydroxypatite of tooth with fluoropatite which is not only much stronger but also resistant to caries.
There are still some important things that you have to remember when it comes to paste. Never swallow toothpaste as this can cause fluoride toxicity.
Kids should be especially instructed against this. Don't use toothpaste for pimples or zits excessively.
Although it does seem to help, there are no studies that rule out possible side effects or dangers. People with sensitive skin are prone to burns and irritation on using them.
You should brush for two to three minutes. Brushing vigorously for long duration does more harm than good.
By learning these good habits, you can ensure that your teeth are going to remain clean, protected, and strong for years to come. Start today-there is no better time to begin to care about your health than now!
by: Jack Landry
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