Keys to brushing teeth: how much, how and when to do it
Do you know how to brush your teeth? If a questioner suddenly asked you this question while walking quietly down the street, you will most likely answer a loud YES without hesitation. You've been doing this task since childhood - you probably started with two or three years - and it does not cross your mind that you may be doing it wrong. But the truth is that maybe you're wrong. The latest Survey on Oral Health of Spaniards , carried out in 2010 by the Council of Dentists , noted that 12% of Spaniards do not brush daily and 2.3% never do.
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Maybe you are among the remaining 85% but it does not mean that you are doing it totally well. Without going further, 30% of respondents in 2010 discovered that they did not wash as many times a day as they should. Then there are other issues such as the type of brush we should use, the amount of pasta we must put and the food we should consume (or avoid) to take care of the teeth.
Do you know what is needed in each of these cases? Experts in oral health have answered these questions and have clarified some questions regarding the times, the type of toothpaste or the method we should use. Because in the brushing is as important how much (time we invest) and how (it is done).
Once you have finished reading the recommendations, go back to the beginning and answer: Do you know how to brush your teeth? Maybe by then the answer will change.
QUESTION OF PASTA ... AND BRUSH
To brush your teeth, two instruments are necessary: the brush and the paste. But anyone is not worth it, you have to know how to choose them. "The brush should be soft or medium depending on the circumstances of each person (we never recommend hard brushes) and it should be in good condition (it should be renewed every three months )," recommends Dr. Regina Izquierdo, periodontist and vocalist of the Board of Directors of the Spanish Society of Periodontics and Osseointegration (SEPA) . Too hard brushes should be banished from our toilet for several reasons. According to a recent report by Vitaldent , "a brush with too hard bristles can wear out the enamel, which has a white hue, making it finer and causing the dentine to be seen, which is below and whose hue is more yellow". It can also damage the gums causing its retraction and exposing the root of the tooth, which can cause problems.
Electric brushes could also be an option, but not THE option. "We advise its use in special cases when manual brushing does not achieve adequate plate control or in cases of multiple restorations or orthodontic appliances, in which case we would recommend an electric brush with pressure sensor and specific heads for each situation", Continue Left.
Keys to brushing teeth: how much, how and when
In a matter of pasta not only matters what, also how much. If we were to look at the TV ads every time we washed our teeth, we would brush a good dose of toothpaste. However, this should not be the case. "With a pea it would be enough", explains Fernando Martín, of the Dentists Council. "The paste must have fluoride - when we talk about washing an adult person - because it helps to remineralize the teeth and makes the tooth more protected against possible attacks by bacteria," says Martín. As explained by the Propdntal clinic , the presence of fluoride on the tooth surface reduces the solubility of the enamel, giving it greater hardness and making it more resistant to the action of acids and therefore to the production of dental caries.
A fluoridated paste is important and not so much a bleach. "The effect achieved is less than expected," says Regina Izquierdo, who recommends using them for "maintenance after a whitening treatment in the office."
TWO TIMES MINIMUM: THE NIGHT, UNNECECTABLE
The ideal in bucondental hygiene is brushing just after each meal but taking into account that nutrition experts recommend eating five meals a day, this seems quite impossible. "At least we must wash our teeth twice a day, one after breakfast and the other, the most important, after dinner," explains Fernando Martín. "The recommendation is that if you only do two brushes, the second should be after breakfast so that you do not spend too many hours without brushing." More than 10 hours can produce more bacteria in the mouth, which are those that cause tooth decay.
And if brushing in the morning is important, more so in the evening. "During sleep less saliva is produced, which is known as xerostomia.Saliva is a natural component of our body that has the mission to defend and protect the mouth.It helps to protect from agents that can attack enamel or cause diseases ", continues Martín. This would result in a less protected mouth. "And more if the patient sleeps with his mouth open or snore so the bacterial plaque would be more harmful in that period of time," explains Dr. Izquierdo. To all this is added that when sleeping there is no movement of the tongue or lips that contribute to the so-called self-cleaning mechanism. That is why night washing is essential, which must be done thoroughly using dental floss, to reach the spaces where the brush does not reach and where bacteria stagnate will give way to decay, and mouthwash, which in no case can replace brushing.
Keys to brushing teeth: how much, how and when
BARRIER AND DO NOT SCRUB
You do not need to get up from the table immediately after eating the last bite to go to brush your teeth, but you do not have to wait too long to carry out the process. There is only one exception: "If the diet is predominantly acidic (citrus, vinegar ...), the ideal would be to wait 30 minutes to wash our teeth and more if the person suffers from dental hypersensitivity," explains Regina Izquierdo. This would avoid rubbing the acid against the denture and thus avoid sharing it or the entire mouth and intensify its harmful effect.
Keys to brushing teeth: how much, how and when
The duration of the brushing and the method used are key to the success of the process. The duration is more or less known -from two to three minutes-, but not the same with the method. Most people brush intuitively so the final result is not what was expected. "The gesture should be from the gum to the outside of the tooth on the inside and outside of the face and in all the rooms of the mouth," explains Fernando Martín, and it must be borne in mind that in order to perform a complete oral hygiene, we should not Just brush carefully the 32 teeth that make up our adult teeth, assuming we have all the wisdom teeth, or the 20 of childhood.You also have to brush your gums and your tongue. "With the same brush as the teeth. teeth sweep the tongue from the deepest to the outside to clean the remains of food that can end up producing tooth decay, "adds Martin.
FOOD MATTERS
A complete care of the teeth must be accompanied by a healthy diet, but the most important thing is to maintain a good level of hydration. "This prevents the mouth from drying out and by keeping it hydrated, teeth are better protected", explains Martín, for whom there are no miracle products in the care of the mouth, nor any that must be prohibited.
Vitaldent's recent report does mention cured cheese to "help counteract the action of acids produced by carbohydrate-rich foods". According to this, its consumption increases the flow of saliva, which favors the natural cleaning of teeth and teeth. protects against demineralization. On the contrary, it points out other customs that we should not abuse; from consuming a lot of coffee or tea, enemies known to all, to abusing acidic foods that can erode the enamel and make our mouth more prone to long term caries. In addition, hard candies can also cause the breakage of a tooth or erosion of the enamel, biting ice can sensitize the teeth and sticky foods that last too long in our mouth can lead to the appearance of decay. "It is not about stopping eating these products, but about brushing teeth immediately after their intake," says the medical director of Vitaldent, Gustavo Camañas.
And now that you know how, how much and when, it's time to go back to the beginning and ask the initial question: do you really know how to brush your teeth?