|
Untitled Document
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
An unhygienic mouth is often a less sweet smelling mouth. And let us also not forget that slacking off on a regular, rigorous brushing and flossing protocol not only results in bad breath, but can cause plaque buildup-which eventually leads to cavities, gum disease, and worse.
Below, dental experts Dr. Graziano Giglio and Dr. Paul Kamen offer important tips on keeping your mouth clean and healthy.
What is plaque?
GRAZIANO GIGLIO, DDS: Plaque is made up of bacteria and its byproducts, which accumulate on the teeth. Unfortunately, it develops no matter what you do. People often ask me, "Well, what if I don't eat?" You still collect plaque. Plaque is just part of our environment and part of the oral environment. It tends to collect in the places that are the hardest for us to get to with our toothbrushes, namely the little crevice between the gum and the tooth, the space just in between the teeth, and in the little cracks and fissures on the biting service of the teeth.
PAUL KAMEN, DDS: Plaque is not just one gooey mass. It actually consists of millions or billions of different bacteria and very complex bacterial species.
The point is that certain species seem to be associated with different kinds of periodontal disease and other species seem to be associated with different kinds of tooth decay.
Plaque causes which diseases?
GRAZIANO GIGLIO, DDS: It can cause two diseases-periodontal disease and cavities.
What is periodontal disease?
PAUL KAMEN, DDS: Periodontal disease is the disease of the tissues that surround and support the teeth. People think of periodontal disease as gum disease, which it is. But more importantly, the disease involves the bone that helps to support the teeth. You can have a very mild infection or inflammation of the gum tissue or it can advance to a more destructive lesion of the bone. In other words, the bone is resorbed or eaten away by cells in the body to the point where the teeth lose the bone support that they need to stay in the mouth, which can eventually lead to tooth loss.
How does food contribute to plaque buildup?
GRAZIANO GIGLIO, DDS: The sugars in whatever you eat feed the bacteria. The bacteria makes an acid which can demineralize the tooth and result in a cavity. The bacteria then penetrates the tooth and produces more acid. When you're eating a lot of sugar, you're feeding the acid-producing bacteria which eat away at the surface of the tooth or cause periodontal disease and bone loss.
How does fluoride help in the fight against plaque?
GRAZIANO GIGLIO, DDS: Fluoride coats and penetrates the tooth-causing remineralization and protection of the enamel surface, which is helpful. That's why in most states there is fluoride in the water.
In the past ten years, people are drinking more bottled water at work and at home, and so they're not getting the same amount of fluoride. So more cavities are appearing between the teeth or on the top surfaces of teeth.
What are the best plaque prevention techniques?
PAUL KAMEN, DDS: The good old standards that we've been hearing almost all of our lives still apply. Brushing and flossing.
How much, and how often?
PAUL KAMEN, DDS: Brushing should be done twice a day and flossing could be done once a day. But it has to be done in a very deliberate manner. Just scrubbing up and down with a toothbrush haphazardly doesn't cut it. You have to actually direct the bristles of the brush into the gum line because that's where the plaque is collecting. Then very gently massage the bristles in a back and forth motion against the gum line to get rid of the plaque around the teeth.
The brush does not get in between the teeth so the best way to get in between is by flossing.
GRAZIANO GIGLIO, DDS: What's important in dental care is to prevent the bacteria from colonizing and producing acids that cause the disease process. Most people just go up and down with the floss, but you actually need to get in there and wrap the floss right around the tooth.
What sort of toothbrush do you recommend?
PAUL KAMEN, DDS: Periodontists tend to recommend a soft, nylon toothbrush. For most patients, a manual toothbrush, off-the-shelf Oral B, Advantage, GUM, are all fine. There are many, many brands that are perfectly adequate for most patients.
There are a few patients who have either very crowded teeth or have difficulty getting into certain parts of their mouth, who do benefit from some of the powered brushes.
What are the dangers associated with using a hard brush?
GRAZIANO GIGLIO, DDS: Over years of brushing, a hard brush causes damage to the gingival tissues and also abrades the root surface and the enamel on the teeth.
Can you describe the proper brushing technique?
GRAZIANO GIGLIO, DDS: I recommend putting the brush under hot water first so it softens the nylon bristles. Then concentrate on the sulcus-the space between the tooth and the gum-and remove the plaque there. You can brush in a circular motion or brush back and forth, slowly. I tell patients to go in at a 45-degree angle to the gum and tooth and brush away. So you're physically removing that plaque.
Which are the most effective toothpastes?
PAUL KAMEN, DDS: The most important ingredient in toothpaste is fluoride, and most toothpastes have it, although some of the natural toothpastes don't.
Other than that we have lots of specialized toothpastes on the market today-anti-tartar toothpaste, sensitivity toothpaste, whitening toothpaste. I think that if you have those particular problems or you desire a little whitening, there is nothing wrong with using a toothpaste with a whitening agent. |
Source/Author Info:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
... |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
