What does oral hygiene mean? Oral hygiene rules. Removing hard build-up
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The population of dental clinics mainly consists of people who have little education in oral hygiene. As numerous studies show, most dental patients do not have a comprehensive understanding of the importance of oral hygiene, the principles of daily dental care, the rules for choosing hygiene products and other components of a preventive dental culture. A consequence of low awareness of oral hygiene is the development of numerous dental diseases.
Consequences of improper dental care
Microorganisms reproduce in conditions with favorable temperatures and in the presence of carbohydrates, therefore The mouth is where the largest number of bacteria accumulate. Their constant impact on tooth enamel can destroy the tooth and cause diseases such as:
- Caries and pulpitis. The symptoms of such pathologies are expressed in painful sensations in the teeth and gums. With caries, pain occurs as a reaction to external stimuli, with pulpitis - spontaneously.
- Periodontitis and gingivitis. Most often, the etiology of such diseases is explained by advanced caries or pulpitis. Symptomatic pathologies are manifested by bleeding and inflammation of the gums, loosening of teeth and their partial edentulism (loss).
- Stomatitis is an inflammation of the mucous membranes of the mouth, in which ulcers with pus, spots or extensive areas of redness form on the gums, cheeks, palate or tongue. The mucous membranes of the tongue and cheeks become covered with a characteristic coating, the gums swell and bleed.
- Glossitis is an inflammation of the tongue that occurs as a result of stomatitis. It manifests itself as a burning sensation, coloring and pigmentation uncharacteristic of the tongue, and hypersalivation.
- Halitosis, which is due to the pathological growth of anaerobic bacteria. The pathology is expressed by bad breath.
An indifferent attitude towards the condition of the oral cavity is fraught with the development of diseases of the stomach, heart, endocrine, nervous system and other complications. To treat emerging dental and general diseases, you will have to undergo a complex and expensive therapeutic course, which can be avoided by following the simplest basic rules of oral hygiene.
Principles of oral hygiene and dental care
The idea of hygiene is established from early childhood through the example of parental sanitary behavior. And hygienic habits are formed in accordance with knowledge about the daily routine, diet, and techniques for carrying out therapeutic and preventive measures. Therefore, it is necessary to teach a child basic hygiene rules from infancy.
The majority of patients with dental pathologies believe that twice daily brushing of the surface of the teeth is a sufficient measure to prevent caries and other diseases. However, the daily procedure of cleaning enamel from food debris is one of the components of an extensive oral care system. In addition to this, it is necessary to carry out the following preventive measures:
- Rinsing the mouth after eating to remove food debris.
- Use of auxiliary means: irrigator, tooth powder, thread, brush.
- Compliance with diet. Dentists advise eliminating sweet and sour foods and carbonated drinks from the diet.
- Regular visits to the dentist. Starting from the age of one, monitoring of the oral cavity should be carried out by a specialist at least once every six months.
- Professional teeth cleaning.
The basis of proper oral hygiene is a competent approach to choosing tools for dental care and adherence to the technique of cleaning the dental surface.
Teeth brushing technique
Carbohydrates in food particles that accumulate in the mouth after a meal provoke the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria and the development of caries, so removing food debris is the most important aspect in the prevention of dental diseases. The effectiveness of preventive measures is influenced not only by the regularity of hygiene procedures, but also by the quality of tooth brushing.
Cleaning the enamel from plaque should be carried out twice a day. and according to the requirements of oral and dental hygiene:
- You should brush your teeth both from the outside and inside, starting the procedure with the upper molars;
- the toothbrush must be directed from the gingival margin to the top of the tooth;
- chewing teeth require cleaning with reciprocating movements;
- clean the tongue correctly from root to tip, cleaning the inner surface of the cheeks is carried out in the same way;
- removal of food deposits between teeth is carried out using dental floss;
- The procedure must be completed by rinsing your mouth with a special mouthwash.
The duration of brushing should be no more than 3–5 minutes – 10 seconds for each tooth. A longer procedure may cause tooth enamel to become thinner.
Criteria for selecting basic oral care products
Leading sanitary and hygienic products include toothbrushes, floss, pastes and mouthwashes. Their choice should be made taking into account the structure of the jaw, the sensitivity of the teeth and other individual parameters.
The main quality criteria for toothbrushes are:
- Design and size of the head. For preschool children, toothbrushes with straight and equal-sized tufts of bristles are selected; the number of tufts usually does not exceed 23. Toothbrushes for teenagers and adults consist of a larger number of tufts - from 30, their location and length can be different.
- Villi hardness. Toothbrushes with soft bristles are preferable for children under 10 years of age and people suffering from periodontal disease. High-strength villi are intended for patients with installed dental structures.
- Handle length. Preference should be given to brushes with comfortable and non-slip handles. For children, brushes with long handles are selected, since parents will clean their teeth.
Electric toothbrushes are also available on the hygiene products market. Their advantage lies in increased cleaning power, which is achieved through intensive automated movements of the brush head.
The use of electric brushes by young children is not recommended due to their undeveloped cleaning skills.
Toothpastes are divided into hygienic and therapeutic and prophylactic. The former have a cleansing effect and freshen breath. The purpose of the second is the targeted fight against diseases of the oral cavity.
Mouthwashes are classified according to their purpose: breath freshening, anti-inflammatory, reducing tooth sensitivity, preventive. In the absence of dental pathologies, it is recommended to use products that eliminate bad breath.
Additional hygiene products
Basic oral care attributes reduce the likelihood of dental diseases, but ideally additional products should be used. The selection of auxiliary hygiene devices and means should be carried out in accordance with the direction of their action.
To improve the quality of daily hygiene procedures, the following products are produced:
- Tooth powders. They serve as an analogue to toothpastes, but they should not be used more than twice a week.
- Irrigators are devices whose main functions are cleaning hard-to-reach areas from food debris and hydromassaging the gums.
- Dental brushes. Used to remove plaque under orthopedic structures.
- Scrapers. Designed to cleanse the tongue.
The hygienist provides information about the advantages and disadvantages of a particular hygiene product, the correct methods and regularity of its use.
Professional hygiene
A set of activities carried out by a dental hygienist during sanitation (preventive examination) is aimed at analyzing the condition of teeth and gums, informing the patient about the rules and methods of hygienic procedures, and preventing tartar and caries. Professional oral hygiene includes several stages:
- An examination during which the condition of the oral cavity is assessed and a preventive treatment strategy is developed.
- Removal of dental plaque. For this purpose, ultrasonic or laser devices are used that effectively remove plaque from teeth, interdental space, and gum pockets.
- Polishing and grinding of enamel. The procedure allows you to slow down the appearance of dental plaque.
- Remineralization is the saturation of dental tissues with minerals that help prevent caries and restore tooth sensitivity.
- Implantation and whitening are considered as additional components of professional hygiene, the need for which depends on the condition of the teeth.
It is recommended to resort to professional hygiene twice a year, but for some categories of people (smokers, coffee drinkers) more frequent visits to a specialist are recommended - once a quarter. Professional teeth cleaning is an expensive undertaking (from 4 thousand rubles in Moscow), however, irregular visits to a specialist increases the risk of late detection of sluggishly developing dental diseases, the treatment of which can be more expensive than professional dental and oral hygiene measures.
Snow-white, healthy teeth are one of the external attributes of health; in light of this, oral hygiene becomes a daily necessity. In addition, dental health has a great impact on the health of internal organs, in particular the heart and stomach.
The pursuit of healthy teeth did not begin today; it has been known since ancient times. In the 30th century BC. The Chinese used special flattened sticks, various scrapers and metal toothpicks to clean their teeth. Hippocrates recommended the composition of the powder in his writings. Rich Roman women had separate slaves to take care of their teeth, and tooth powders were prepared from burnt horn and coral.
Today, pastes and water are fluoridated and anti-caries diets are created. Unfortunately, some people simply neglect this. 90% of people in the world suffer from dental caries, and in some countries even 100%. But there are places on the map where they have not heard of caries at all: the aborigines of the southern Pamirs and the Eskimos. This may be due to the fact that they do not eat sweets.
More than 300 types of microbes live in the human mouth, and it is their activity that “ensures” the flourishing of diseases. They are silent when the mouth ecosystem is balanced. Regular brushing of teeth, use of DSPR (oral hygiene products) - all this helps solve problems.
Proper dental care reduces the incidence of caries in schoolchildren and young children by half. After eating, there are always acids in the mouth that corrode the enamel, it becomes thinner, cracks appear on it, and the teeth are destroyed. Acids must be cleaned from the surface, because when they accumulate, tartar is formed, which safely loosens the teeth and.
Much depends on the diet: the predominance of carbohydrates and sour foods is what is most harmful to teeth. Oral hygiene can be individual, it is carried out regularly and daily at home, and professional - periodically, in the dentist’s office.
Proper brushing of teeth
The most common methods of individual oral hygiene:
- Charter - the movements of the brush are circular, vibrating and shaking, it is held at an angle of 45º to the tooth. Mainly used for gum massage.
- Stilamana - press firmly on the gum until it becomes pale and then, using rotating movements of the brush, restore its blood flow.
- Leonardo - the brush is perpendicular, moving vertically with the teeth closed.
- Bassa - cleaning the labial surface, then the inner surface of the teeth, molars on top. The brush is positioned at an angle of 45º to the tooth; movement from red to white. They move rotationally in 10 movements for each tooth. Turn the brush around and move in the opposite direction. The inner and outer surfaces are cleaned with sweeping movements. The upper surfaces of the molars are cleaned progressively horizontally.
- Rake - the brush is parallel to the axis of the tooth. Spiral movements are made from the gums, the chewing surfaces are cleaned in a forward-backward direction, progressively. This method allows you to massage the gums and is most often recommended for periodontitis and periodontal disease.
- A new method of brushing teeth - Solo. The Solo technique is based on the use of a brush with one round tuft of soft bristles. In this case, the teeth are cleaned sequentially one by one, and any of their surfaces and even contact ones, but this does not exclude the mandatory use of SGPR.
Oral care rules imply that for healthy gums, complete cleaning by massaging the gums for 3 minutes with a separate soft brush, followed by disinfection. Brushing your teeth should take at least 3–3.5 minutes.
The paste is squeezed onto the brush not as a pea, but as a full-length strip. You should always brush your teeth 2 times a day: in the morning - after the first meal and in the evening - before bed. A prerequisite for smokers is that cleaning must be carried out 3 times. After cleaning, the brush is placed in a glass with the bristles down. You cannot boil them.
In conditions of exclusively independent dental care, sooner or later a visit to the dentist will be necessary due to pain or complete tooth decay.
Only regular professional hygiene can prevent unpleasant consequences due to insufficiently effective treatment of the oral cavity and keep teeth in good condition for many years.
What is included in the set of procedures?
Professional oral hygiene includes basic and additional procedures.
The basic ones include:
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In addition to basic procedures, professional oral hygiene may include additional:
- . Basic procedures give teeth durability, remove plaque and give them a natural color. Many people want to have bright white teeth, which give their appearance an aesthetic appearance. Bleaching is carried out using special equipment and tools, since it uses aggressive substances applied to the enamel. The gums and mucous membranes must be protected from their harmful effects. It is impossible to guarantee that this operation will be carried out without consequences for the teeth, although all methods used in modern dentistry are reliable and have undergone numerous tests. One of the most common side effects of whitening is increased. The effect of the procedure lasts for up to five years;
- . Used for tooth loss. During this operation, an implant is implanted into the bone tissue of the jaw. After it fuses with the bone, a procedure is carried out in which the implant becomes the basis of the crown. Various materials are used for implantation, mainly titanium-based alloys. This operation is one of the most difficult and is performed only in high-quality medical centers. Before it is carried out, the patient undergoes a course of examinations, based on the results of which the material and shape of the implant are selected.
Professional oral hygiene is carried out in stages. First, an inspection, followed by stone removal, primary bleaching, polishing and fluoridation.
After an examination, the hygienist may exclude some steps based on the condition of the teeth. Additional procedures are performed solely at the request of the patient.
Regular examinations by a dental hygienist are key to oral health. It is necessary to undergo professional hygiene procedures for teeth and gums at least twice a year. Some people's lifestyles require more frequent visits to the dental hygiene professional.
For example, if you drink tea and coffee excessively, it is recommended to lighten your teeth at least once every two months. The same applies to smokers. Once every three months, those who wear it should go to see a hygienist.
Most oral diseases are associated with the activity of pathogenic bacteria that are found in the human mouth. If a person's immune system is strong and able to resist, bacteria do not cause harm to health. In case of illness or weakening of the body, pathogenic bacteria begin to multiply and have harmful effects.
Excessive consumption of foods high in carbohydrates can cause damage to your teeth.
Results of the vital activity of pathogenic microorganisms visible in the form of soft deposits in the oral cavity on the surface of the gums, tongue, cheeks, external and internal surfaces of the teeth.
Daily and proper cleaning at home is used to remove plaque and deposits, but sometimes this is not enough to cope with the signs of bacterial damage. In this case, many turn to specialists for professional oral hygiene. Very often, professional hygiene is necessary to improve the color of tooth enamel. This procedure is mandatory before sanitation of the oral cavity.
Mechanical cleaning of the surface of teeth and gums from bacterial deposits allows timely prevention of the development of caries and periodontal tissue disease.
Professional oral hygiene: what is it?
– these are measures aimed at removing deposits from the surface of teeth and gums, which are carried out by a specialist using various methods. Special means and devices are used for professional oral hygiene.
The procedure is carried out by a hygienist who uses professional toothbrushes of varying hardness and bristles of different lengths, ultrasonic and combined equipment, irrigators, therapeutic ointments, and special abrasive cleaning products for mechanical cleaning of the oral cavity.
Why is professional hygiene necessary?
Without professional cleaning of teeth and gums it is impossible to perform dental procedures.
Removing plaque is a means of preventing periodontal disease. Tooth enamel is enriched with the mineral components necessary for it.
While cleaning the surface of the teeth carious lesions become visible, which allows timely treatment of the disease to begin.
Professional cleaning makes it possible to accurately determine the color of tooth enamel, which is very important for prosthetics or restoration.
Methods and means of professional oral hygiene
Before carrying out manipulations, it is mandatory the oral cavity is rinsed with a special antiseptic solution. The entire procedure is carried out using local anesthesia in the form of sprays, gels or injections.
Plaque is removed manually or using a machine.
For hardware removal of dental plaque, a special painless and safe system is used.
Tartar destruction occurs using a laser device.
To remove soft deposits on teeth, a specialist uses special abrasive plates and scrapers. Previously, this was the only way to get rid of tartar and deposits on soft tissues.
Currently, manual manipulations are carried out in areas that are inaccessible for cleaning using devices.
What does professional oral hygiene include?
Professional oral hygiene is carried out in several stages.
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Additionally, whitening or implantation can be performed.
Basic procedures for hygienic professional cleaning of the oral cavity allow you to get rid of plaque, keep your teeth strong, and give them a natural color.
After professional cleansing, increased sensitivity of the teeth and mucous surface of the gums may persist for a short time, since cleansers contain aggressive components.
Professional cleaning of the oral cavity is carried out taking into account the individual needs of the patient. To clean braces, it is recommended to visit a specialist at least once every three months.
Contraindications to professional oral hygiene
Not all patients are eligible for these procedures. . No hygienic cleaning is carried out if patients have the following diseases and pathological conditions:
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After professional oral hygiene, the doctor will introduce you to the rules of oral care and the basics of finger massage, and will help you choose toothpaste and a toothbrush of the required hardness.
The human oral cavity is home to a huge number of different microorganisms. They settle on the teeth, gums, tongue and buccal mucosa. Colonies of microbes and their metabolic products lead to a number of dental problems. In addition, when bacteria enter the body, they provoke the development of gastrointestinal pathology.
To balance the ecosystem and improve overall health, regular and high-quality oral hygiene is necessary. The high effectiveness of such a procedure depends on the correctness of its implementation and some other nuances.
The importance of oral hygiene lies in the prevention of major dental diseases, as well as maintaining an attractive appearance of a person. By following the rules for conducting events, you can achieve significant results, including:
- formation of strong teeth;
- destruction of pathogenic microflora;
- prevention of the development of caries and periodontal disease;
- prevention of infectious diseases of the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract;
- snow-white smile;
- fresh breath;
- savings on dental services.
As medical practice has shown, people with weakened immune systems and smokers are especially in dire need of hygienic care.
Types of oral hygiene
To maintain the microflora of the oral cavity, in which the teeth and oral mucosa will always be healthy and aesthetically pleasing, there are a number of hygiene measures. They are divided into two main types: personal hygiene and professional procedures.
In the first case, oral care is carried out independently at home. According to the recommendations of dentists, the procedure should begin at an early age, when children have their first teeth.
If cleaning the mouth at home does not bring the desired result, the second method is used. Professional cleaning is carried out in a medical institution by a dentist.
Each method requires compliance with a number of rules. Therefore, in order for the procedures to be highly effective, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with them in more detail.
Rules for carrying out hygiene procedures
In order for your personal oral hygiene to ensure thorough cleaning and create an attractive smile, you must purchase special cleaning products in advance and then follow the rules of the event.
Oral care is usually carried out using special cleaning products, including:
- Toothbrush for cleaning teeth, cheeks, tongue.
- Toothpaste for the prevention and treatment of diseases.
- Brushes for removing food residues in interdental crevices.
- Rinse to complete the procedure.
When it is not possible to brush your teeth, dental floss is used. To eliminate bad breath and small food particles after eating, it is recommended to use sugar-free chewing gum.
Rules for cleaning teeth
Oral hygiene rules depend on the choice of cleaning product. Using a toothbrush, the procedure is carried out as follows:
- The cleaning attribute is rinsed with running water.
- Apply a small amount of toothpaste to the bristly surface of the brush.
- At an angle of 45 degrees relative to the gum, the attribute is located in the open mouth.
- The upper teeth are cleaned from top to bottom using smooth, circular movements.
- The lower jaw is cleaned from bottom to top.
The above manipulations are carried out within 3 minutes. After this time, the toothbrush is turned over and the tongue is cleaned with a rubber nozzle. At the end of the procedure, the oral cavity is rinsed with warm water or a special rinsing solution.
When using dental floss, proper oral hygiene is carried out in the following order:
- For a one-time procedure, dental floss 40-50 cm long is cut.
- The thread seeps into the interdental crevices with smooth movements.
- Having reached the surface of the gum, the thread is directed in the opposite direction in a similar way without sudden movements.
Having cleaned one interdental gap in this way, move on to another. In this case, the thread must be clean for each section.
If the above hygiene measures do not get rid of plaque deposits on the teeth, dentists recommend professional cleaning.
Carrying out professional cleaning
Oral hygiene with professional help is carried out to eliminate accumulations of soft plaque, which over time develops into tartar. When a hard stone forms, a person loses his attractive appearance. In addition, against the background of this pathology, concomitant dental diseases develop.
To prevent these negative phenomena, the dental hygienist prescribes measures using medical instruments and special equipment.
Before proceeding with professional intervention, the dentist must first carefully examine the patient. Medical Oral hygiene methods depend on the following diagnostic indicators: caries intensity index, hygiene index, assessment of the condition of the mucous membrane, type of bite, presence of dental pathologies.
After assessing the condition of the oral cavity, the specialist must form a responsible attitude towards the prescribed procedure in the patient. It is important that a person understands that medical oral hygiene can completely get rid of periodontal disease and improve the external condition of teeth.
Carrying out procedures
A medical complex of measures to remove persistent dental tumors can be carried out therapeutically, orthodontically or surgically. Each event is conducted by a dentist in a medical office.
In order for professional oral hygiene to go smoothly, before it begins, the patient is prescribed rinsing the nasopharynx with an antiseptic solution.
For major operations, anesthetic medications may be used, in the form of sprays or injections. The professional cleaning complex includes several stages.
Removing plaque and tartar. An ultrasonic device is used for this. In some cases, manual mechanical cleaning with dental instruments is used.
Removing pigmented plaque. A popular device for cleaning teeth from soft plaque is the AirFlow device. As a result of the pressure of the emitted water, air and soda, the enamel becomes lighter by 2 shades.
Teeth polishing. This method uses professional products that contain zirconium microparticles.
Fluoridation. This method involves strengthening the enamel with fluoride-containing gel trays. The procedure lasts only a minute, but during this time the enamel has time to become saturated with fluoride ions, due to which it becomes stronger.
Fissure sealing. This method involves using composite resins to fill the grooves of the teeth on the chewing side using a special tool.
Many patients neglect professional procedures, as well as the visit to the dentist itself. However, this position is fundamentally wrong.
By contacting a specialist in a timely manner, you can avoid dangerous pathologies of the oral cavity, as well as receive recommendations for daily care so that individual oral hygiene brings significant benefits.
In medical practice, there are certain rules for the technique of cleaning the mouth. Compliance with them does not require much effort or difficulty.
- To maintain the microflora in the mouth and the strength of the teeth, it is necessary to follow a balanced diet of dairy and legumes.
- To brush your teeth, it is better to choose a brush with synthetic bristles.
- The cleaning attribute should be replaced every 3-4 months.
- Clean your mouth with a toothbrush and toothpaste 2 times a day. The first procedure is carried out in the morning, the second before bedtime.
- Various oral hygiene practices should include cleaning the tongue and gums. This will be a good means of preventing periodontal disease.
- After each procedure, the toothbrush must be thoroughly rinsed with running water.
- It is recommended to clean the spaces between teeth after every meal. To do this, you can use dental floss or special wooden sticks.
- It is better to entrust the monitoring of the condition of the oral cavity to the dentist.
- Professional hygiene should be carried out 1-2 times a year by a qualified specialist.
- For hard-to-reach areas of the mouth, it is advisable to purchase specialized tools, such as a brush and floss.
- Don't neglect mouthwashes either. Their regular use contributes not only to fresh breath, but also to the strength of the enamel structure.
Consequences of neglecting hygiene rules
Failure to comply with the rules of oral hygiene, at best, will lead to bad breath and the development of caries. But, as medical practice has shown, such neglect will have more serious consequences.
A large accumulation of harmful bacteria in the absence of hygiene procedures or their improper implementation contributes to the development of the following pathologies:
- . This is an inflammatory process of the gums that affects the alveolar process of the jaw. The pathology is accompanied by putrid breath, bleeding gums when brushing teeth individually, itching and a negative perception of the taste of food.
- Candidiasis. This inflammatory process develops when Candida bacteria enter the mouth. In pathology, swelling of the oropharynx and a white coating on the tongue are observed. In an advanced form of the disease, erosions may appear on the surface of the oral mucosa. . Such damage to the lining of the mouth occurs due to the proliferation of infectious microorganisms. When bacteria enter the human body, they destroy the surface structure of the gums, tongue and cheeks. Subsequently, ulcers appear on the affected areas.
As you can see, each pathology develops due to the entry of harmful bacteria into the oral cavity, where there is an optimal habitat for their growth and reproduction. Only careful daily oral care can correct this phenomenon.
Following the recommendations of specialists for individual procedures, as well as regular visits to the dentist, will help maintain a clean and healthy mouth, as well as provide fresh breath and a snow-white smile.