All humans need teeth to chew food and speak clearly. They also affect the overall look of your face and smile; hence it is important to look after them. Maintaining a good oral hygiene is a crucial part of caring for your teeth.
Tooth decay, gum disease and dental erosion are common problems that can be avoided.
Tooth Decay
Very soon after toothbrushing, a thin, sticky layer of bacteria forms on the surface of the teeth. This is called plaque. When we eat anything with sugar in it, the plaque bacteria turns the sugar into energy and produces acid at the same time. The acid attacks the enamel in a process called demineralisation. The process softens the enamel and can lead to tooth decay.
The saliva helps wash away and neutralize the acid also containing minerals to replace those lost from the enamel during demineralisation (it is called remineralisation). This leads to an ongoing battle between saliva and acid. If you eat sugary foods or drinks too often, the saliva doesn’t get long to fully remineralise the teeth. The enamel weakens and finally a cavity forms.
Gum Disease
It is also known as periodontal disease and affects mot people all over the world. If you allow plaque to remain to the teeth for too long it collects close to the gums and turns into tartar. The gums become irritated, red and swollen and the early stage of the disease is called gingivitis. If it’s left untreated, the gums tend to pull away from the teeth creating a gap (periodontal pocket) that traps even more plaque and tartar. The teeth can become infected and wobbly and need to be taken out.
You are all aware of the implications smoking has on your body but you mush know how it affects the teeth also. Besides inflicting damage to the aesthetic appearance of the smile, smoking can also result in long term dental conditions. The tobacco in the cigarettes is a major contributor to tooth discolouration and will cause the teeth to darken to a light brown shade. Tobacco also helps build up the plaque, increasing the risk of developing decay and periodontal disease.
Dental Erosion
Soft drinks taste good but the sugar in them reacts with the natural bacteria in your mouth and forms acid. It will lead to dental erosion, which is the gradual wear of the surfaces of the teeth. Dental erosion is not reversible and can result in sensitivity and pain. It is alarming that even sugar free drinks contain acids that also erode the teeth’s enamel. So it’s recommended to drink soft drink with moderation, using a straw to drink or better, drink water!
How To Look After Teeth
Cleaning the teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, visiting the dentist regularly and controlling how much sugar you consume, makes for good oral hygiene. Hence you should:
- Brush your teeth at least twice a day.
- Use a fluoride toothpaste.
- Use a toothbrush with a small head.
- Use a gentle circular action to brush, starting at one side at the mouth and moving round to the other side.
- Pay attention to the gum line.
- Do not rinse your teeth with water after brushing.
- Replace your toothbrush every three months.
Certain types of electric toothbrush are more efficient at removing plaque than brushing by hand.
The dental floss removes plaque and particles of food from between the teeth and under the gumline. Also, fluoride mouthwash helps to remineralise the enamel. There are also some antiseptic mouthwashes that reduce the number of plaque bacteria.
Chewing sugar-free gum after a meal stimulates the production of saliva, which in turn, helps to neutralise plaque acid. Some gums contain xylitol, which suppresses certain kinds of plaque bacteria. Further researches regarding the effects of gum on the teeth are conducted.
Avoiding eating refined sugars between the meals gives the teeth a chance to be remineralised by saliva. Vegetables, fruits, cheese, milk contain natural sugars and these are much less likely to cause decay.
As mentioned before, smoking can cause gum disease and tooth lost. Alcoholic drinks often contain lots of sugar, increasing the risk of tooth decay. Drinking and smoking are also associated with an increased risk in developing mouth cancer.
You should visit your dentist every three months to every two years, depending on your medical history. At a check-up, the dentist is able to detect any problems early and provide advice and treatment.
Even thorough brushing and flossing cannot remove every trace of plaque because most people have irregularities in the teeth where plaque and tartar can form. This can only be removed by the dentist with a special scaling instrument.
Some children have deep fissures in the back of the teeth that are difficult to keep clean. The fissures can be sealed with a resin film to stop plaque and acids reaching the enamel and prevent decay. The sealants can last for several years but regular visits to the dentist are necessary to check they have not worn through.
1. Heanue M, Deacon SA, Deery C, Robinson PG, Walmsley AD, Worthinton HV, Shaw WC, Manual versus powered tooth brushing for oral health, The Conchrane Database of Systemic Reviews 2003, issue 1, www.cochrane.org
Johson NW, Bain CA and co-authors of the EU-working group on tobacco and oral health. Tobacco and oral disease. Br Dent J 2000
