To daily beauty routine belongs, of course, also brushing your teeth. What role technology and tools play in this: a little refresher on oral hygiene.
Everything was so clean!
“Brushing your teeth is like cycling, once you have learned it, you no longer think about how you actually do it,” says the Munich dentist. Jan Hajtó and adds: “The dangerous thing about it: If mistakes have crept in, they are constantly repeated.” Permanently too much pressure, for example, damages the enamel – after all, the hardest substance in our body – and too much vehement scrubbing can lead to irreparable damage to the gums.
But where do you get detailed information on how to do it right? The answer is: in professional teeth cleaning; During this treatment, the dental hygienists recognize cleaning defects. “We dentists look closely at the dentition when the patient comes to check, but only for a few minutes while the dental hygienist spends one hour on it,” says Jan Hajtó.
Every six months is a good rhythm to go for cleaning – and if necessary, there to also improve the cleaning behavior. It’s best to bring your toothbrush and show how you do it at home.
The right technique
HEALTHY BEGINS IN THE MOUTH
Why the right technology is so important? During the day, a fine film of bacteria accumulates on the teeth, which, if you do it right, can largely clean away. It only becomes critical when this plaque, also referred to as plaque, settles on the edge of the gum and below: the gums become inflamed, bleed, loosen up, and pockets are created through which the bacterial organism migrates deeper, ie towards the root; finally the tooth bed becomes inflamed and the bone is attacked. To illustrate: The total area of all tooth roots is about as large as the hand area. “In periodontal disease, a tooth-inflammation that can even lead to tooth loss, you have to imagine that an area of this size would be inflamed and bleeding,” says Dr. Jan Hajtó. And: The inflammatory toxins affect the whole organism. But do not worry, the Federal Dental Association (BZÄK) recently announced that regular professional teeth cleaning can reduce the risk of periodontal disease by half.
WHOM, HOW AND HOW OFTEN?
“Manual toothbrush or electric? I recommend the one that my patients can cope with best, because they use it more regularly,” says Dr. Jan Hajtó. However, the technology differs depending on the tool: For electrical, the rotating-oscillating work, you just need to hold the (mostly round) brush head straight and for about ten seconds to each tooth; Sonic models on the other hand lead from red to white like a manual toothbrush. If you do not use high-tech, the most efficient way to remove coverings is to use the so-called bass method. The brush with the bristles is set at an angle of 45 degrees to the transition between the tooth and the gums and moved from top to bottom in slight shaking movements. This is also the best way to cleanse the gum line, where a film of bacteria settles.
Basically, very soft bristles (filaments) are suitable for sensitive teeth and gums, and too much pressure never does well. How often should you clean? “Whether one or two times a day does not matter,” says Jan Hajtó. “What’s really important is that you do it at bedtime, and thoroughly, which usually takes about four minutes, otherwise leftovers or bacteria can attack undisturbed overnight.”
CERTAIN EXTRAS
Dental floss and interdental brushes also belong to the correct brushing, as in the interdental spaces food particles often catch on for hours, periodontitis threatens (see “Healthy starts in the mouth”). Here’s how it works with silk: roll off about 20 centimeters, keep center and ring fingers of both hands wrapped and stretch a length of about two centimeters with thumb and forefingers; pass through the point of contact of two teeth, attach the thread to the edge of the gum and rub down, first from one side, then from the other side. Interdental brushes are intended for larger gaps. Dr. Hajtó calls it “the most important cleaning tool for the home, because it cleans in places where at worst bone loss threatens”. Tip: In the case of prophylaxis, let the correct brush size be shown,
The right care
AND THE PASTE?
First a few words about fluoride and the accusation that the mineral is dangerous. The fact is that it strengthens the tooth substance, is a good caries protection – and only in large (!) Amounts can endanger the health. Whether with or without fluoride: clairaudience should be when your cream crunches like sand between your teeth. Then prefer to switch to another – such particles act like scouring powder and permanently damage the tooth enamel. For sensitive necks, sensitive pastes help to block exposed canaliculi and prevent stimuli from passing to the nerve. Discolouration of wine, tea or coffee brushes off every toothpaste, whitening products help to achieve more whitening.
THE OIL TRICK
There are still no hard facts, but many swear by oil pulling, a method from Ayurvedic medicine. Here’s how it works: before you brush your teeth, put one tablespoon of sesame oil in your mouth and pull through your teeth for at least five, preferably up to 20 minutes. Regarding the effect of the procedure, Dr. Jan Hajtó: “The oil gets into every niche, has a germicidal and antimicrobial effect.”