A toothbrush is a small brush with a long handle that is used to clean teeth. It was first mass-produced by William Addis in England. For most people, a soft-bristled toothbrush will be the most comfortable and safest choice. A medium to the hard-bristled toothbrush could be traumatic to the gum and increase the rate at which tooth enamel surfaces are rubbed off. The handle of a good toothbrush should be able to withstand normal use. Regular and correct tooth brushing reduces plaque build-up and gum disease in their early stages. Electric toothbrushes cost more than manual types. Some people don’t like the vibratory feeling of an electric toothbrush while others find it easier to use. Vigorous toothbrushing can damage one’s teeth and gum. A powered toothbrush may make it easier for you to be gentle on your teeth and gum and also get them cleaned at the same time. There is no significant difference in effectiveness when using an electric or a manual toothbrush in their ability to remove plaque and prevent gum diseases. A toothbrush should be replaced when the bristles are no longer even when viewed horizontally at the level of one’s eyes.
Tag: Dentistry
What is the cause?
Mouth odour could be frustrating and embarrassing when so much money has been spent on mouthwashes and dentist’s appointments without any improvement. It is unpleasant when friends beat a retreat as you approach to chat with them. It brings stigmatization, ridicule and low self-esteem. It could force an affected person to become an introvert especially if he has come to his wit’s end without a concrete solution. This could cause loss of relationships and some opportunities one could have got via interacting with people. When brushing your teeth in the morning and the last thing at night and visiting your dentist regularly to fill decayed teeth, scaling and polishing your teeth fail to remove the mouth odour, the root cause needs to be traced and eliminated. Only about 5% of millions of people who have mouth odour across the globe are treated annually because the symptoms are often treated while the root cause(s) are neglected. Type 1 halitosis (mouth odour) is caused primarily by poor oral hygiene that could result from poor teeth brushing habits while type 2 halitosis (mouth odour) causes recalcitrant mouth odour that persists regardless of good oral hygiene habits. It is caused by decayed undigested food in the intestine. It is not all the food we eat that gets digested or removed as excreta from our system. Some of them cling to the walls of our intestines where they are acted upon by bacteria to release odour directly to the lungs and finally to the mouth. Gargling with mouthwashes that are only switched around in the mouth and spat out cannot eliminate this type of mouth odour. A detoxifying therapy is needed to remove undigested food from the intestines. If you find yourself in the situation described above, visit your family doctor for proper examination and treatment.
The golden rules.
If dental diseases are to be prevented, patients must both understand the causes of dental diseases and genuinely want to achieve perfect dental health via the application of this knowledge.
Every individual must regularly assess himself to determine whether he is adequately motivated and also take into account factors that can occasionally affect the status of the tissues holding his teeth in place.
Everybody must strive to understand the purpose of plaque control and be trained in how to achieve and maintain it on a day-to-day basis. Regardless of the sacrifices involved, people should have a strong and genuine desire to retain a healthy dentition. Regular checks should be made on the thoroughness of brushing. Retraining should be given at intervals and patients encouraged constantly. While dentists must carry out meticulously careful supervision of plaque control and watch for the slightest signs of failure or the onset of gum infections, the hygienist must carry out a skilful and careful scaling and polishing of the teeth. Factors contributing to stagnation and accumulation of plaques should as far as possible be eliminated. Ancillary measures are the use of wood points and flossing of interdental surfaces, and these should be practised regularly as occasion demands.
What is the way out?
The adage which says prevention is better than cure still stands tall in the order of available steps to be taken to minimize or avoid dental problems. For example, a child’s teeth start forming while the baby is still in the mother’s womb. Therefore a baby whose mother is on a balanced diet during pregnancy will benefit from the mother’s nutrients and vitamins such that even its set of milk teeth will be hard and resistant to caries. When such teeth are properly maintained they are also succeeded by strong permanent teeth. A simple rule worth remembering is that the same food that is good for the body is good for the teeth. Foods can generally be classified into “grow”, “glow” and “go” types. “Grow foods” are bodybuilders which supply the protein requirements of the body. “Glow foods” are protective. They supply vitamins and minerals to the body. “Go foods” are concentrated energy foods that supply the calories required to make one active all day.
