Choosing a Toothbrush

Unless your dentist recommends anything else, the toothbrush should be medium hard, made of nylon bristles with at least 3 rows and rounded ends.

It is possible to brush more thoroughly and better with small-headed brushes.

The brush handle and the head where the bristles are located should be parallel to each other.

The brush must be replaced when the bristles become flat towards the ends (approximately 3 months). If this slanting occurs within 1 month, it means that you are brushing with too much pressure.

Toothbrushes should be stored so that they dry in a short time and do not come into contact with other brushes.

Acidic drinks (orange juice, lemon). , cola drinks, etc.) Teeth should not be brushed within 30 minutes after taking it, or acidic drinks should be avoided for 30 minutes after brushing teeth. Acidic drinks disrupt the PH balance of saliva and melt the protective layer on the teeth. Then, when the teeth are brushed, the protective layer is completely removed from the teeth and there is a small amount of wear on the surfaces of the teeth.

Tooth Brushing Method

The aim is to remove food residues from all surfaces on the teeth, gums and tongue. For effective cleaning, it should not be done haphazardly.

Most people start brushing their teeth from the front teeth, which is the biggest mistake.

  • They are the ones that have the most contact with food. The rear teeth are the teeth that do the chewing job and are the most difficult to clean due to their indented and protruding surfaces. The function of the front teeth is only to bite and they are easy to clean because their surfaces are flat.
  • For these reasons, starting from the upper jaw and the back teeth, all teeth are the most difficult to clean. Lower and upper molars should be cleaned, then move on to the front teeth.
  • Squeezing a pea-sized amount of paste onto a medium-hard brush is sufficient.
  • Half of the brush is on the gum and the other half is on the tooth. Start brushing by applying very gentle pressure.
  • Small circular vibration movements are made without moving the brush.
  • After the toothpaste is spread on the teeth, a downward sweeping movement is made on the upper jaw and an upward sweeping movement on the lower jaw. .
  • Then apply the brush to one size. By advancing it, all surfaces of the teeth are cleaned.
  • It should never be pressed too much, otherwise the teeth will wear out.
  • There are tiny hairs on the tongue, like the bristles of the carpet, and food residues accumulate between them. Even if you brush your teeth, these residues stick to your teeth again while speaking and swallowing. For this reason, the tongue should be cleaned with the serrated surface behind the bristles, just like brushes.

    Similarly, thin layers of food residues may cling to the inner parts of the lips and cheeks, which we call fixed gums. These residues can come back to the teeth with mouth movements. After displacing these residues with the tip bristles of the brush, as if massaging, without irritating, the mouth should be rinsed with plenty of water.

    Using Dental Floss

    Cleaning the bacterial plaque from the interface surfaces by brushing. It may not be possible. Dental floss is used for this.

    The dental floss, held in both hands, is guided with the index finger and thumb and placed between the two teeth. The floss is moved downwards by leaning on the tooth on one side. Then, by leaning on the other tooth at the same interval and moving it downwards, the interfaces of all teeth are cleaned.

    Oral CareBrushing process is done twice in the morning after breakfast and in the evening before going to bed; Dental floss is applied every two days.

    Tips

    • The brush should not be pressed too much while brushing teeth.
    • In healthy gums. A hard brush should be used, and a soft brush should be used for bleeding gums.
    • During brushing, the gums should also be massaged to help blood circulation.
    • Toothpaste should not be used too much. Excessive use of paste dissolves the gums.

    Why Do Teeth Decay?

    Bacterial plaque, which consists of bacteria in the mouth, is the residue of sugary and floury foods left in the mouth. It can form acid. These acids dissolve the mineral tissue of the teeth, causing the tooth enamel to deteriorate and eventually lead to the onset of tooth decay and cavities that dentists call cavities.

    Tooth decay, which for many years was considered a disease of unknown cause, is today It was understood that it was a disease due to many causes. There are three main factors of tooth decay:

    • Bacterial plaque (also called dental plaque)
    • Carbohydrate foods (Sugar, flour. .. etc.)
    • Acidic drinks (cola, fruit juice, soda...)
    • Sternal factors (Tooth damage structure, composition of saliva, etc.)

    If one of these factors changes in a person with balanced dental health, caries will occur.


    What are the Symptoms of Decay?

    A rotten and hollowed-out tooth is easily recognized by its dark-colored cavity. But sometimes the cavity remains hidden and the dentist can only diagnose it with auxiliary diagnostic tools (such as dental x-ray). It is seen on the neck. Hidden caries between two teeth go unnoticed for a long time. We often hear the saying "... while I was eating dinner in the evening, I thought I had a stone in my tooth, but then I looked and saw that a piece of my tooth was in my mouth..." In case of tooth decay, we often hear it said.

    In case of tooth decay, go to the dentist. The most important symptom that requires application is pain. Pain occurs from cold, hot, sweet or sour. The severity of the pain varies from person to person, and when the cause is eliminated, the pain disappears; However, in untreated caries, pain begins to become permanent after a while.

    How Does Tooth Decay Progress?

    Caries always starts from the surface of the tooth and progresses to reach the dentin layer. . Dentin contains more organic matter than enamel. For this reason, caries spreads more quickly in this layer and pierces the dentin like a screw; However, the rate of progression of caries varies greatly from person to person and from tooth to tooth.

    Another point that should not be forgotten is that dentin is a defense organ of the tooth. Inside the dentin, there are production and repair cells called odontoblasts at the ends of the canals described in the previous section, and these can clog the carious dentin with repair tissue.

    Just like the defenders of a besieged castle repair the breaches opened by cannonballs... This spontaneous defense sometimes It may be insufficient against rapidly progressing decay.

    Who Has More Cavities?

    Sugared There is a danger for everyone, since cavities occur as a result of the combination of floury foods and bacteria.

    However, those who have a very high rate of carbohydrate and sugary foods in their diets and also have a very low fluoride rate in their water are at greater risk of cavities.

    Although saliva forms a natural defense mechanism against the acid created by bacterial plaque, it cannot prevent caries on its own.

    Diseases or medications that reduce the flow and amount of saliva also accelerate the formation of caries. For this reason, dentists often recommend sugar-free gum because it increases saliva flow. Chewing gums containing zinc are also helpful in eliminating bad breath.

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