Oral hygiene aids

                                                        Oral hygiene aids

                                                                                                By- Dr. ANKIT YADAV

We never have breakfast before brushing and always brush like a ritual every morning. Still, many of us either experience or meet people who have experienced annoying problems like dental cavities, bleeding gums, teeth sensitivity, and bad odour. The things to ponder over while approaching such issues must include getting our brushing technique right; employing other helpful oral hygiene aids to ward off the problems completely or alleviate the suffering caused when they persist. This blog attempts to shed some light on the dental manners we must adopt for a healthy denture and a winsome smile.

Oral hygiene agents for homecare

•  Brushing

            Brushing is the basic thing to do for a healthy oral cavity.  Brushing can be done with toothpaste or datun (neem or mango). The only condition is to do it with proper technique otherwise you can hurt your gums and teeth. Brushing can protect your teeth from plaque for up to 12 hours.

• Interdental brush

              This brush helps to remove the food debris stuck in between the teeth. The normal brush is unable to reach certain sites while brushing. These brushes are slightly larger than the gaps (embrasure) between the teeth for more effective cleaning purpose. The interdental brushing technique is different from normal brushing. These brushes are inserted directly in the embrasure area and moved back-and-forth in the region.

•      Dental floss

                It is the most common dental aid used at home. Dental floss is made up of either thin nylon filament or polyethylene rubber filament. After brushing, remove the debris and food particles in between the narrow teeth gaps (embrasure). It is used gently in between the teeth in a back-and-forth motion. If unnecessary excess force or wrong technique is used, you may hurt your gingiva, resulting in bleeding.

•      Unituft brush

                  In this, a group of small tuft i.e. 3-8 mm in diameter, which may be flat or tapered in shape is used. Unituft brush is recommended in the furcation area, the distal surface of the most molar. They can also adapt to partial denture margins and implant or under it.

•      Dental tape

                 This is a modification of dental floss. In the dental tape, the floss is fixed in between a holder. It is used in a rubbing motion.

•       Toothpick

                 This is the most common dental aid in-home care. Most of us use it after a meal. They are usually made of softwood (basswood or birchwood) and are triangular in shape. It is inserted in between the teeth region and the base of the triangle toward the gingiva in the gingival embrasure. They repeatedly move in and out from the embrasure to remove the food particles. A toothpick is recommended for those patients that have open interdental space. It should be moistened in saliva for a few seconds before use. It is contraindicated for children and young adults because interdental space is filled with normal papilla.

•         Tongue cleaner

                    It is made up of plastic, stainless steel, or any flexible metal. These are designed to remove bacteria, fungus, and food debris from the surface of the tongue.  The periodontal pathogen produces sulfur compounds and these compounds are responsible for halitosis from the mouth.  To remove these pathogens, place the tongue cleaner as far as possible and drag it smoothly 3-4 times after brushing, till it is clean.

•         Gingival massage

                     Gingival massage is a methodical application of stroking and kneading pressure to the gingival tissue to stimulate gingival blood flow. Massaging the gingiva help to increase blood flow in that region and it protects the gingiva from microorganism by defending them locally.

•         Oral irrigator

                     These are created to clean the food debris below the gingival line. Oral irrigators are in form of waterpiks, water jets, and hydro floss.  A continuous flow of water sprayed from tiny jets help to remove food debris and harmful bacteria along with it. It is used along with brushing. It is suggested for orthodontic therapy as well as a patient undergoing implant, crown, or partial denture prosthesis. It is contraindicated in infective endocarditis because it may cause bacteremia.

   Professional advice

• Scaling

               It is a procedure done by the dentist to remove the stain, calculus, and plaque from the teeth surface. By brushing and other dental aids (dental floss, interdental brush, dental tape) we remove only surface debris (supragingival) but the debris and plaque which are present beneath the gingiva (subgingival) are not removed by regular faulty technique brushing. Due to the accumulation of debris and microorganisms, dental-related diseases occur (periodontal pocket, mobile tooth, furcation, bleeding gums). To avoid these kinds of complications one needs to undergo basic scaling 1-2 times in a year according to his/her dental health.

• Brushing 2 times a day is necessary for good oral health.

•         Bedtime brushing is necessary because during the night, the flow of saliva is reduced, the food debris present in our mouth and the microorganism are still there so the microorganisms turn powerful at night and they attack on healthy oral cavity. In the morning, the flow of saliva reduces their power and makes them inactive with the help of dentifrice.

•       One time brushing protects the teeth surface only for 12 hours from the plaque accumulation

•         Replace all-oral health aids (toothbrush, tongue cleaner) after recovery from a long disease or disease which can spread (by contact) to avoid cross-contamination.

•      visit your dental clinic for regular check-ups every 6 months.

  

 

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